As a black public educator it brought pain to my soul as I stared at the statue of Thomas Jefferson every time I entered the school named after him. The statue of a racist, pedophile slave owner over looks NYC students every day as they walk thru the scanning machines at Thomas Jefferson High School. We wouldn’t name a high school after Harvey Weinstein or put a statue up of him so why Thomas Jefferson? While he did play a role in establishing a very important Declaration for this country he is not a symbol of African-American freedom.

My stomach churns as I see black custodial staff polish his larger than life statue. My stomach churns as I see students patted down and criminalized at scanning before having an opportunity to receive an education. All of this happening while the mans who would’ve been a true threat to their livelihoods stares at their black bodies. 

I’m calling for the immediate removal of this statue from the hall way as well as the removal of his name from the school building. This school should be named after someone who fought for the liberation and progression of black slavery and not a rapist, pedophile slave owner. Please support and spread the word!