Thomas Jefferson the third President of the United States of America owned more than 600 African slaves throughout his adult life. He is a founding father of our country but remains a symbol of white supremacy. Thomas Jefferson High School has a student population of 12.5% African American, 19.3% Asian and 30% Hispanic yet their name sake supported and maintained a stable of slaves. It is time that we rename this institution of education to reflect a leader of our times. It has been documented that Thomas Jefferson raped his slave Sally Hemings from the time she was around 12-13 years old until he passed away and during the time of her forced bondage she bore six to eight children. It was discovered after a Y DNA test in 1998 that used descendants of Jefferson’s uncle, Field and a descendants of Sally’s son Eston Hemings that the Y DNA showed a match with the male Jefferson line. Thomas Jefferson is the author of terms such as “we hold the truths to be self evident”, however; the truth is that he shouldn’t be the namesake of a High School when he was a slave owner and a rapist. With the rise of the “Me Too” and “Black Lives Matter” movements what are we showing our kids when we ignore his contributions to society. It’s time to rename Thomas Jefferson High School. Let Thomas Jefferson be remembered on Mount Rushmore but not in Federal Way.