Segregationist Byrd's name to be axed from Virginia school

(AP) — A Virginia school division decided Thursday to remove a prominent segregationist's name from a school, saying students should not be educated in a building named after a man who sought to shutter schools rather than integrate them.

The Henrico County school board voted 5-0 to strip Harry F. Byrd's name from the suburban Richmond school following a petition drive and overwhelming public condemnation of the school's name.

Some speakers at public meetings included African-Americans who were victims of Byrd's segregationist policies.

Statues celebrating the Confederacy are destined to come down in New Orleans and Confederate battle flags have been stripped from public places and license plates.

Residents said the name change proposal has come up before but never gathered sufficient steam to reach the school board.