Slave owners weren’t heroes. Arlington should have the courage to rename these schools | Opinion

Four Arlington Independent School District high schools are named for Texas historical figures meant to be seen as role models.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, when Arlington schools were predominately white, AISD followed a common, statewide naming practice. Counties, schools, and streets were named for Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, James Fannin, James Bowie, Mirabeau Lamar, and William Travis.

After close review, historians and journalists discovered that except for Crockett, these Texas heroes supported slavery.

And yet, Arlington still has Lamar High School, Sam Houston High School and Bowie High School. (Arlington’s Seguín High School is named for a true Texas hero, Juan Seguín).

Sam Houston, originally from Virginia, lived with the Cherokees and later served as a congressman from Tennessee. He left his Cherokee wife Tiana Rogers in 1832, traveled to Tejas, married Margaret Lea in 1840 and had eight children. A more benevolent master than other slave owners, he allowed his 12 slaves to learn reading, writing, and ciphering.

As the first president of the new Republic of Texas, Houston signed a bill in 1837 prohibiting the illegal importation of slaves. However, the Texas Constitution forbade any laws that would abolish slavery. The Sam Houston High School webpage gave a brief history of the namesake as an American politician and soldier who helped secure Texas’ independence from Mexico. No mention of owning slaves was cited.

The James Bowie High School mission statement is “Nurture and empower our students through relevant learning.” Its motto, “Cross the Line” is in reference to the legendary scene at the Alamo when William B. Travis drew a line in the sand and asked those who wished to stay and fight to cross over. Bowie, who was ill, was helped over the line. According to the Bowie High School website, an athletic director started the tradition in 1974 of crossing the line “to remain true to the ideals of James Bowie and the Alamo.” Historians have discovered no evidence the line in the sand scene took place.

Bowie and his family traded slaves in Louisiana and spread their human trafficking business into Texas. Working with Jean Lafitte, the pirate and slave smuggler, Bowie claimed he found slaves and then sold them in auction. His reputation of killing a man in a brawl with his Bowie knife followed him into Texas, where his cold-blooded brutality drew the admiration of the Alamo defenders. Unfortunately, he was sick at the critical moment of the battle and crossed the line to the next world, courtesy of the Mexican soldiers.

Poet-politician Mirabeau Lamar’s life drew the admiration of AISD administrators in 1970 when they opened Lamar High School. As the second president of the Republic of Texas, he was called the “Father of Texas Education” for persuading the legislature to set aside three leagues of land in each county for school development. This allotment led to the founding of Texas A&M and the University of Texas.

Lamar’s educational enlightenment didn’t extend to the practice of slavery. In 1840, he signed “An Act Concerning Free Persons of Color” that gave free Black people two years to get out of the state or become a slave. Any free Black people who came into the state would be enslaved for a year. If they couldn’t pay the bond after a year, they became a slave for life. His racial venom also extended to Native American people. Unlike Houston, who sought peaceful settlements, Lamar pursued aggressive policies to push Native American people out of Texas.

Since 1970, AISD student population has changed like the city to majority-minority with 48% Latino, 27% Black and 17% white students in 2024.

In 1999, AISD opened an essay contest to the public to suggest the name for a new high school. Bilingual teacher Dora Gonzales, my spouse, and an Arlington student submitted the winning entries out of 1,500, suggesting that the high school be named for Juan Seguín. The Tejano supported the Texians’ efforts to gain independence from Mexico for political reasons. After the fighting, Anglo settlers threatened his life, forcing him and his family to flee to Mexico, where he was recruited to lead a company of Mexican soldiers.

Educational scholars have stressed the importance of representative role models for students of color to feel valued. AISD should rename its high schools for ethnic heroes like Jovita Idár, journalist and feminist; former U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan; or Roy P. Benavidez, a Texan who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in the Vietnam War.

In these times, AISD school administrators and board should muster the courage to recognize schools named for slave owners reflect historical ignorance and myth. Free Arlington students to learn the whole truth by renaming their schools for real Texas heroes.

AISD should open more rounds of essay contests to suggest more appropriate names. The process will empower students, parents, and teachers to identify true Texas heroes relevant in our times.