ATLANTA — There is a crucial vote Monday that could change the name of Atlanta’s Grady High School.

For more than 70 years the historic school has stood in Midtown, right near Piedmont Park.

Grady High School was named after Henry Grady, a journalist many consider a racist and white supremacist. Many people say he shouldn’t be celebrated by having a school named after him.

“The entire time I’ve been on this board I’ve been lobbied by students and other folks in the community to have this conversation and look at changing this name because of many things that happened in the past in this country and this person specifically do not reflect values that we want to carry forward today,” said board member Leslie Grant.

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A renaming committee came up with a few replacement names last month. Ida B. Wells is the front runner. The journalist from the 19th century played a key role in creating the NAACP.

“I think Ida B. Wells is compelling and appropriate name for a whole host of reasons that I’m sure that have been discussed and debated. That would be my vote,” Atlanta councilman Amir Farokhi said.

The board will meet at 2 p.m.

Cox Media Group