Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I am writing to support changing the name of Lee-Jackson Elementary School. I don’t consider this a political issue. It is about making an environment where any person who enters the building can do so on equal ground, for the education and development of every student.

My family and in-laws still live in the county and I visit regularly. One Monday morning a few months ago my boss asked about my weekend. I started to describe our visit to Mathews—the quiet beaches and great restaurants only an hour drive from our office in Richmond. He stopped me, saying that as a Black man he would not be visiting and did not think he was welcome.

We all get used to things the way they are. We stop thinking about their origins or importance. That isn’t the case when a visitor drives through our town. That isn’t the case when a family considers moving to Mathews. That also isn’t the case when kids go on field trips or teachers go to conferences wearing Lee-Jackson El...