The St. Paul Public Schools Board will consider possibly changing the name of Linwood-Monroe Arts Plus in a meeting Tuesday evening, after a community group raised concerns with the legacy of the school’s namesake, President James Monroe.
The fifth U.S. President, Monroe, as with other earlier leaders in the county, was known for owning slaves.
"We agree with the Monroe school and the parents who are for this that it is a problem," said community organizer Dave Bredemus. “I suspect James Monroe was very little talked about up until now, well it should be, it should be talked about a lot."
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One option the alumni group discussed was possibly keeping the 'Monroe' name but naming it after a different 'Monroe.'
"It's been part of our history out here in West 7th street," said Al Hanzel, Class of 1960. “I didn't even know James Monroe was why the school was named.”
