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A new argument against renaming Auburn High School in honor of Harriet Tubman: That because Tubman didn't go to school there, it shouldn't be named after her.
There is an elementary school in Auburn named for William H. Seward, who was a politician and famously served as President Lincoln's secretary of state. Seward came to Auburn as an adult. He did not grow up here and he didn't attend this elementary school.
Race is certainly a factor in this double standard. This community has been eager (and rightfully so) to honor Seward. There have been no limits placed on how often we honor him. But with Tubman, it's a different story.
Ten years ago, I started writing stories about the effort to establish a national park honoring Tubman. While a lot of people supported that push, there was always a group of folks who asked why we were writing "so many stories" about Tubman.
These critics never revealed their feelings about Tubman. For many, there were never any comments beyond their apparent disgust for our volume of Tubman reports. But you could tell that when we wrote about other famous Auburnians (Seward included), there wasn't that same reply.
I've told this story before. When I visited Auburn for my job interview in 2009, I did not know Tubman once lived here and was laid to rest in the city. I did some basic research and read a lot about Seward. But Tubman wasn't at the forefront. It was almost a throwaway line.
But I didn't think it was. I read about Tubman when I was younger and knew that having this American icon call this city home was (and is) a big deal. That's one of the reasons, once the beat was freed up, that I started writing about the Tubman national parks bill.
I wrote about that legislation until its passage in 2014. In January 2017, I traveled to D.C. — the only CNY reporter to do so — and covered the ceremony at the Department of the Interior. It's one of the most memorable days of my career.
I've continued to follow the developments at the park (COVID-19 had an impact, for sure) and with the Tubman $20 bill. The Tubman Twenty push began six years ago. I'm working on a timeline about that effort.
But in Auburn, there is a new attempt to rename the high school in Tubman's honor. The first, as I understand it, dates back to the '90s. Over the years, it was debated and there was a compromise: Rename the administration building in Tubman's honor.
The problem? That's not much of a compromise. The administration building is a place that isn't frequently visited. The school board, for example, holds its meetings at Auburn High School. The high school is really the heart of the district.
There are people who question what would happen with Auburn's sports teams. But that's a nonissue. Baldwinsville's high school is named in honor of Charles W. Baker, but when the sports teams play they are known only as "Baldwinsville."
The issue is overcoming the challenges rooted in the community. These aren't any different than challenges faced in other communities. We could probably slap Seward's name on every school and there wouldn't be a word about it. But put Tubman's name on AHS and there is opposition.
Tubman's name should be on Auburn High School. It's not the only way she should be honored in this city, but it's an appropriate step to celebrate an American icon who called Auburn home. And it's long overdue.
