Louis J. Agassiz was the father of scientific racism whose racist views provided justification for the economic, social, and political domination of whites over Blacks and other people of color in America. His name is currently on a Chicago elementary school where over half of the students identify as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color. This needs to change. 

In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many others, as well as the ensuing protests, it is clear that to value the lives of Black students, we need to reexamine the historians, scientists, and leaders that Chicago Public Schools honor and celebrate. 

Agassiz believed that not all human races descended from the same ancestors. He was a proponent of the concept of human races as “separate species.” He advocated that Black lives mattered less and used his 'scientific' views to advocate for the denial of social equality. 

Chicago Public Schools CEO Dr. Janice Jackson has said, " If we are going to progress as a society, this moment must lead us to confront racism — in all of its forms — on a daily basis." We are calling on Dr. Jackson and Mayor Lightfoot to confront the racist legacy of Louis J. Agassiz today.