Samuel M. Kennard, the namesake of Kennard Classical Junior Academy (KCJA), was a wealthy St. Louis businessman, civic leader, and officer in the Confederate Army who remained loyal to the Confederacy until his death. In the four years since the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an article on the controversial namesake of the school, the school community has watched as other schools and cities across the country have grappled with this very issue and made difficult changes.

Now is the time to come together to choose a new namesake for Classical Junior Academy, a school in which St. Louis takes great pride.

As a group of alumni of Enright CJA and Metro High School in the St. Louis Public School District, we believe this school’s namesake should be changed to celebrate a person whose life better reflects the values of our diverse and inclusive learning community: Betty M. Wheeler.

Betty McNeal Wheeler dedicated her life to excellence in education, particularly in the St. Louis Public Schools. After teaching at Gundlach Elementary, the Northside Reading Clinic, and Yeatman Elementary, she started Metro High School. Wheeler led Metro straight into the record books, with test scores that challenge even the most prestigious private schools. Metro is a public school with a proven history of cultivating exceptional students and a culture of inclusion. Known to her students and staff simply as "Betty," she ensured that we all felt like family to her, and to each other. We had those difficult, open and honest, all-school conversations about race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. She treated us with respect and expected us to do the same of our peers and the staff. Metroites are known for our strong convictions toward creating an equitable region. And we have Betty to thank for an authentic education that went above and beyond.

This is about more than a name. It is an opportunity to honor a modern pioneer who devoted her life to bringing excellent education and a culture of inclusion to St. Louis public schools and the broader community. Our city is beginning to address its legacies of racial injustice and consider how to best create a community of which we can be proud. Renaming Kennard to Betty M. Wheeler Classical Junior Academy honors a deserving leader in local education policy, and offers the community an opportunity to move forward with grace and dignity.