Concord to hold another vote on middle school name

The town of Concord is embroiled in a heated debate over the renaming of the Concord Middle School in honor of Ellen Garrison, a local Black woman and Civil War era abolitionist. The Select Board has taken a bold step by voting to put the question on a town-wide ballot on June 25, despite the School Committee’s previous decision against the name change.

Select Board Chair Mary Hartman emphasized that the ballot vote is non-binding, but could help bring closure to the contentious issue. The town, known for its predominantly white population and buildings named after famous figures like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau, would see Garrison become the first Black woman to be honored on a public edifice.

While School Committee Chair Alexa Anderson has defended the current name of the school as unifying, supporters of the name change argue that honoring Garrison would help residents and students of color feel represented and seen in the community. The offer to name another building after Garrison was deemed inadequate by the Select Board, as it lacked the prominence and foot traffic of the middle school.

Garrison’s legacy as a daughter of former slaves who risked her life to teach emancipated children to read during Reconstruction has only recently come to light. The upcoming ballot vote will be a crucial moment for the town to voice their opinion on the matter, with hopes of reaching a decision that reflects the values and diversity of Concord.