Aug 27 Atlanta Public Schools Renames Brown Middle School “Herman J. Russell West End Academy”
In recent years, city councils and school districts nationwide have renamed buildings and removed monuments dedicated to Confederate leaders who fought to preserve slavery and White supremacy in America. The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) board approved to rename Brown Middle School to Herman J. Russell West End Academy, after H. J. Russell & Company founder, Herman J. Russell. The former Brown Middle School was founded in 1923 and named after Joseph E. Brown, who was Georgia’s governor during the Civil War and opposed slavery’s abolition. The name change will help ensure APS has buildings named after people who represent the values of its students, parents, families and staff.
