CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte high school has a new name, replacing one with ties to the Confederacy.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools voted Tuesday night to change Zebulon B. Vance High School to Julius L. Chambers High School in honor of the late civil rights icon.
Chambers was a leader, educator, and lawyer who took multiple cases to the Supreme Court. His son, Derrick Chambers, says renaming the school not only leaves a legacy, but a history lesson for all who walk through the doors.
“It means something monumental because it’s the removal of a slave owner and put up the name of a hero, someone who fought for equality for all of mankind,” he said.
Chambers was also the chancellor of North Carolina Central University, his alma mater. He passed away in 2013.