ANOTHER HERITAGE VICTORY

Duval County School Board Votes 5-2 To Keep Jacksonville's Nathan Bedford Forrest High School Name.

For the past several years a small contingent of black residents has continued a campaign to change the name of the high school which was established in the 1950's

Their opposition has been based on charges of General Forrest being the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, which was refuted by an overflow crowd of graduates
going back the founding of the high school in the 1950's.

Typical of similar school name change campaigns, the event attracted news coverage which rather than focus on the school and the students, played up the unsubstantiated charges against General Forrest which also included charges of an alleged massacre at Fort Pillow. The Associated Press failed to clarify these charges were heard in a trial following the War Between the States presided over by Union General Sherman which found the charges groundless, exonerating General Forrest.

Buried deep in the AP story was a notation that General Forrest's activities with the Klan were largely to disband it as well as mentioning the charges used to disparage General Forrest were heard and dismissed by the U. S. Congress.

Forrest High School today has more than half its student body represented by black students. It has undergone considerable attention from Florida school authorities as it has been graded with an "F" for the past two consecutive evaluations.

With the name change campaign over perhaps efforts for the improvement of the academic atmosphere for all students and faculty can be improved. General Forrest would be for that.

Compatriots and Camps within the Florida Division and diligent individual SCV members worked hard in bringing this important decision about.