Ever since the violent demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, the national debate over Confederate heritage exploded into a political firestorm.
According to the Hill, President Donald Trump said of the removal of Confederate monuments, “It is sad to see the history of our great country being ripped apart.”
Not surprisingly, Trump received plenty of criticism for his remarks. Recently, the nation learned of a new Trump opponent, Davis International Baccalaureate Elementary School located in Jackson.
The school was originally named for Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States. 
On Oct. 17, Davis Elementary School voted to rename their school to honor former President Barack Obama, according to The Clarion-Ledger. It is no coincidence the grassroots movement was founded by the students at the school, which is 98 percent African American, according to The New York Times.
Despite more and more decades separating us from the mistakes of past generations, young people simply cannot ignore the horrors of the Confederacy. Due to this generational divide on the issue of race, there are still plenty of supporters of Confederate heritage and plenty of opponents to the renaming of Davis Elementary.
Despite what these individuals might believe, the symbols, names and monuments honoring the Confederacy were not created to instill pride or unity in the South. These symbols were erected as constant reminders of oppression.
The Equal Justice Initiative filed a report in 2017 about lynchings and racial injustice in the South.
“Many of the communities…have gone to great lengths to erect markers and monuments that memorialize the Civil War, the Confederacy, and historical events,” the report said. “These communities celebrate and honor the architects of racial subordination and political leaders known for their belief in white supremacy.”
The fact a predominantly black school in the heart of the Deep South was named after an infamous white supremacist was not a coincidence or an issue of Southern pride. The name was intended to remind African Americans, at the time, of their place in society.
The many who support Confederate heritage need to be reminded of what honoring the Confederacy includes.
For every ounce of pride someone might feel about their forefathers when they glance at a Confederate monument or drive through Forest County, the same amount of disdain is felt when an African American encounters the same symbolism.
According to CNN, there are over 1,500 confederate symbols across America, with the large majority in the South. Every single one of those “beautiful” Confederate symbols carries a message of hate, bigotry and fear.
With a simple vote, Davis Elementary School showed how far the South has come. Young, black children changed a name given to oppress their ancestors into a name created to inspire them. They should be applauded. 
Even if it is a small step, the students and faculty of Davis Elementary School showed we can learn from and address the mistakes of our past generations.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Davis Elementary.