
The
Prince
William
County
School
Board
approved
resolutions
to
rename
Stonewall
Middle
School
as
Unity
Braxton
Middle
School
and
to
rename
the
auditorium
at
Unity
Braxton
Middle
School
after
long-time
principal
John
G.
Miller.
The
School
Board
also
approved
a
resolution
renaming
Stonewall
Jackson
High
School
as
Unity
Reed
High
School
The
School
Board
naming
committees
held
two
public
input
sessions
to
hear
recommendations
from
community
members.
They
received
775
suggestions.
Jennifer
Wall,
Gainesville
District
and
member
of
the
renaming
committee,
shared
the
difficulty
of
the
decision
due
to
the
many
great
recommendations.
She
also
explained
the
use
of
unity
in
the
name.
"Unity
represents
the
desire
we
have
for
our
students
at
this
time,"
she
said.
"It
means
at
one
with
others.
It
is
oneness.
This
unity
is
possible
because
of
Celestine
and
Carroll
Braxton.
It
is
my
honor
to
support
the
name
Unity
Braxton
Middle
School."
"Unity
is
exactly
what
our
community
needs,"
said
Chairman
Dr.
Babur
Lateef,
also
a
member
of
the
committee.
Unity
Braxton
Middle
School
honors
Celestine
S.
and
Carroll
Braxton,
"two
trailblazers
advocating
for
equal
rights
their
entire
lives."
Celestine
served
as
an
educator
in
Prince
William
County
Public
Schools
for
33
years.
She
taught
at
Antioch-Macrae
Elementary
School
in
Haymarket,
during
a
period
when
Virginia
schools
were
racially
segregated.
She
retired
in
1983
after
teaching
at
Marsteller
and
Stonewall
Middle
Schools.
Carroll
Braxton
was
a
Master
Gunnery
Sergeant
in
the
United
States
Marine
Corps,
and
a
Congressional
Gold
Medal
Recipient.
He
is
one
of
20,000
African-American
Marines
from
1942-1949,
who
received
basic
training
at
a
segregated
facility,
Camp
Montford
Point,
in
Jacksonville,
North
Carolina.
He
served
honorably
in
World
War
II
and
the
Korean
War,
serving
as
a
combat
instructor,
retiring
in
1980.
Miller
served
as
the
principal
of
Stonewall
Middle
School
for
the
past
18
years
and
is
one
of
the
longest-tenured
principals
in
PWCS.
The
resolution
states
that
"the
auditorium
was
Mr.
Miller's
favorite
place
in
the
school
because
this
was
the
center
of
empowering
students
by
celebrating
their
successes
in
many
ways,
including
quarterly
and
yearly
awards
and
musical
concerts."
He
has
dedicated
the
last
20
years
to
this
school
as
an
assistant
principal
and
principal.
He
embodies
so
much
of
what
is
good
at
this
school.
"He
(Miller)
is
loved
by
his
school
and
he
loves
his
school,"
said
Adele
Jackson,
Brentsville
District
and
member
of
the
naming
committee.
Unity
Reed
High
School
honors
the
legacy
of
Arthur
Reed,
long-time
security
assistant
at
Stonewall
Jackson
High
School,
who
was
beloved
by
students
and
staff.
"He
(Mr.
Reed)
saw
Stonewall
students
for
who
they
were,"
Jackson
said.
"He
embodied
the
name
unity.
He
loved
his
school
and
his
students."
"It
is
really
great
when
we
have
an
engaged
community,"
Wall
said.
"There
are
just
so
many
great
people
that
could
be
on
the
name
of
this
school,
but
ultimately
the
students
have
an
outpouring
of
love
and
respect
for
this
African-American
man,
Mr.
Reed,
a
man
who
is
the
embodiment
of
the
school.
He
had
a
huge
impact
within
the
school
community."
The
resolution
shares
that
"the
name
'Arthur
Reed'
reflects
a
lifelong
legacy
and
dedication
to
education
in
Prince
William
County,
representing
leadership,
respect,
pride,
strength,
and
perseverance."
"This
change
should
have
happened
long
ago.
This
is
a
result
of
a
grassroots
effort
of
community
members,"
Lateef
said.
"There
were
a
lot
of
things
said
about
the
importance
of
making
this
change
and
this
is
something
I
am
very
proud
to
be
a
part
of.
Mr.
Reed
was
held
in
such
high
regard
by
the
students
and
it
was
overwhelming
the
amount
of
support
that
he
received."
The
resolution
also
recognizes
that
Arthur
Reed
was
the
clear
favorite
amongst
the
Stonewall
Jackson
community
for
renaming
of
the
school.
Furthermore,
the
resolution
recognizes
the
fact
that
a
school's
name
should
bring
diverse
communities
together
and
unite
them
under
a
common
vision
and
ideal.
The
School
Division
will
work
with
the
building
principals
on
next
steps
in
the
renaming
process.