Status: Active

"The school is named after a segregationist," the Brown SBDM said. "Changing the name would improve inequities by promoting the work of individuals who built Brown vs. a person with a history of maintaining segregation in Louisville."

The J. Graham Brown School, usually called The Brown School, is a small magnet school located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It has approximately 750 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and attracts students from all over Louisville. It is a part of the Jefferson County Public Schools system.

"There's Thomas Jefferson, there's J. Graham Brown, there's Zachary Taylor, and the list goes on and on," Shull said in an interview Wednesday night. "Those who have led lives that in many ways we're dedicated to ensuring that a certain segment of the population subjugated and oppressed and I think we should rethink honoring those individuals with their names on public school buildings." - JCPS Board Member - September 2, 2020

UofL Archivist Tom Owen said at a time when nearly all Louisville theaters were segregated, Brown had refused to desegregate and wouldn't allow African-Americans into his hotel or theater for a showing. Owen said this led to protests outside his theater in the 1960s. - September 2, 2020

FROM THIS "Jefferson County March 21, 2017 Regular Meeting" - March 21, 2017 7:00 PM...

https://portal.ksba.org/public/Meeting.aspx?PublicAgencyID=89&PublicMeetingID=18656&AgencyTypeID=

The Brown School was founded in 1972 in honor of J. Graham Brown and opened in the Brown Hotel. The J. Graham Brown School family requests the renaming for the following reasons:

• Our school community believed our official school name to be J. Graham Brown School, and that “Brown School” was the school’s nickname. Our Alumni Association and PTSA also shared this belief; both support organizations have J. Graham Brown School in their official titles.
• Recognizing J. Graham Brown School as our official name provides proper recognition to our namesake.
• We refer to ourselves as the J. Graham Brown School. This name is on the outside of our building, on our diplomas, and all materials (letterhead, website, etc.).
• Identifying our school as the J. Graham Brown School distinguishes us from other schools across the nation who have the name “Brown” in their title.
• On January 19, 2017, our SBDM Council unanimously approved a motion supporting the name change.

Therefore, in accordance with Board Policy 05.11 School Property-Naming Facilities and Alterations and related procedures, it is appropriate that Brown School be renamed the J. Graham Brown School.

Submitted by: Dr. Michael Raisor