NAACP Spokesman Compares Robert E. Lee Name Change to the Ku Klux Klan

MIDLAND, TX – Midland's NAACP Chapter has responded to options given for the renaming of Robert E. Lee High School. 

According to a press release, on Sept. 21, Eddie V. Rabb of Midland's NAACP said he is not happy with the name change of Lee High School. Last week Midland ISD School board revealed the two choices for name change: Legacy of Equality and Excellence (L.E.E.) High School or Lee Carver High School. 

Rabb says these two will not be a change at all.

"Naming the schools L.E.E. or Midland Carver Lee will lead to the community continuing to refer to the name of the school as “Lee”.  Consider the Ku Klux Klan (referred to as the KKK).  If this organization changes its name to “Kind Kids Kampaign” (and still be referred to as the KKK), the connotation would still cause citizens to associate it with the Ku Klux Klan and affiliate the new organization to the old," stated Rabb in a release from the NAACP. "It will be an insult to the local African American community who have tried to get rid of this name since its inception for the name change to not reflect the spirit of the vote to disassociate the name with Confederate General & First General to Surrender during the Civil War Robert E Lee."

Rabb also complains that the renaming committee had secret meetings and under represented the black voice. 

"We object to populating the committee that recommends the name change with those who were against the name change as they inevitably would try to keep some aspect of the original name," stated Rabb "We object to the secret meetings with certain committee members to determine strategy for keeping the name at the private home of a supporter for keeping the name. We object to the placatory members of the African American community who were selected because of their sympathy with the original name and also to later be used by those who use these actions to state that the process was fair and justified."

Rabb finished by stating "It will be an insult to the local African American community who have tried to get rid of this name since its inception for the name change to not reflect the spirit of the vote to disassociate the name with Confederate General & First General to Surrender during the Civil War Robert E Lee. This process will show the world that southern backroom politics are still alive in Midland, Texas.  This process will also be an embarrassment for the citizens of Midland, that while other communities all over the country are getting rid of the stigma of association with traitors to the United States of America, that Midlanders are actively trying to find ways to keep the association and that it lacks of sensitivity and rebukes decency."