To the members of Princeton Public Schools Board of Education:
As faith leaders, we believe that the names of our schools should speak to the best of where we have been and who we are, and inspire us to what we seek to become. We were encouraged when in 2020 the Princeton Public Schools decided to listen to the principled appeals of justice-loving communities in Princeton and remove the name of “John Witherspoon” from our local middle school as a remnant of a legacy of slavery, white supremacy, and racial injustice. We were also encouraged when the leadership of our public schools wisely decided to give the community at large (students and community) the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process for the renaming of the middle school. Democratic decision-making is a hallmark of so many of our healthiest communities and best practices.
However, we were deeply discouraged when we learned of the decision to discount the indisputable choice made by the people of Princeton and attach a “non-specific name” to the middle school. Shirley Satterfield received the highest number of votes (19.3%) from the list of the final nine specific candidates offered through a process designed and managed by the board.
The people have spoken with wisdom and clarity. It is disingenuous to ignore the original call for racial justice that led to the name change as well as the clear choice of a living, African American woman and educator by the broader community by generically renaming our school, “Princeton Middle School.” We urge you to listen to the voice of the people of Princeton, honor the local legacy of leadership of the African American community, and vote to rename our local middle school “Shirley Satterfield Middle School.”
Reverend Larissa Kwong Abazia
The Presbytery of Central NJ
Reverend Dr. Darrell Armstrong
Shiloh Baptist Church
Trenton, NJ
Reverend Deborah Blanks
Mount Pisgah A.M.E.
Princeton, NJ
Reverend Charles Boyer
Greater Mount Zion A.M.E.
Trenton, NJ
Reverend Dr. Melinda Contreras-Byrd
Princeton, NJ
Reverend Dr. Dave Davis
Nassau Presbyterian Church
Princeton, NJ
Reverend Sharyl Dixon
Kingston Presbyterian Church
Kingston, NJ
Reverend Karen Hernandez-Granzen
Princeton Civil Rights Commission
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Trenton, NJ
Reverend Paul Jeanes
Trinity Episcopal Church
Princeton, NJ
Dean Rene John
Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church
Trenton, NJ
Reverend James Klotz
Ph.D. Candidate, Princeton Theological Seminary
Slackwood Presbyterian Church
Lawrenceville, NJ
Tamisha Mills, Moderator
Candace T. Lovelace, Vice Moderator
Association of Black Seminarians
Princeton Theological Seminary
Reverend Lukata Mjumbe
Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church
Princeton, NJ
Reverend Len Scales
Nassau Presbyterian Church
Princeton, NJ
Reverend Gregory S. Smith
Second Calvary Baptist Church
Hopewell, NJ
Anna Stamborski
Anti-Racist Coalition
Princeton Theological Seminary
Reverend Dr. Mark L. Taylor
Princeton Theological Seminary, Faculty Member
Dr. Norbert Wetzel
Princeton Family Institute
Gender and Sexuality Association of Seminarians
Princeton Theological Seminary
En Conjunto
Princeton Theological Seminary
Episcopal Anglican Student Fellowship
Princeton Theological Seminary
Students for Peace & Justice
Princeton Theological Seminary
The Lutheran Group
Princeton Theological Seminary
Dr. Ruha Benjamin
Princeton University
Reverend Marcus Lambright
First Presbyterian Church of Trenton
Reverend Dr. Paul LaMontagne
Central Presbytery of NJ
Elder David Redmon
Westminster Foundation-Princeton Presbyterians
Editor’s note: Planet Princeton reached out to the school district for comment on Friday. A response was expected on Monday. A spokesperson for the school district said the school board will have a statement on Tuesday. The response will be added to this letter once it is provided.
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