CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Calling for change, a petition created by Charlotte mothers has garnered hundreds of signatures asking for Zebulon B. Vance High School to be renamed.

Marisha Avery started the petition. She says she recently learned of Vance’s role in slavery and she as well as other parents don’t want to perpetuate the hate of generations to come.

“Vance High School in Charlotte is named after a known racist. Please change the name of this school, it is extremely offensive to the African American students within the CMS school system. It is extremely disheartening that there is [a] school named after a known racist, that has a predominately African-American student body,” the petition reads.

She says another name would be more fitting for the future.

“Instead of ‘oh this is an important person in the past,’ we should think about you know making it something that young people look forward to better shape the future,” she said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education is expected to announce at their meeting on June 23 that they are initiating the process to rename the high school.