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RHINO REPORT Special Edition: Rename Ramsey
February 6th, 2017 Ramsey Middle School Minneapolis, MN Volume 2 No. 7
RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced
OnFriday,January27th,agroupof23panelists(students,staff,parents,boardmembers,historiansandcommunitymembers)metforsixhourstonarrowdownthetop14newnameideas(fromhundredsofnominations!)toafinalfive.WewillpresentthesenamestotheRMScommunityforfeedbackatourFebruary28thevent.HerearetheTop5finalists.
DorothyVaughnMiddleSchool
DorothyVaughanwasapioneermathematicianwhenAmericawasfightingWorldWarII.Withmostofthemenofftofight,thereweremanyjobsnowavailabletoAfricanAmericansthatwerenotusuallyoffered.ThePresidenthadissuedanorderthatcalledfordesegregationofallgovernmentagencyjobs.TheNationalAdvisoryCommitteeforAeronautics(NACA/NASA)neededtofilljobstoprocessaeronauticaldata. In1943,Dorothywasahighschoolmathteacher,whichwasjustabouttheonlygoodpaying,highstandingjobthatacollegeeducatedwomancouldget.Thedayshetookatriptothepostofficetolookatthebulletinboard,shesawthenoticeforamathematician.Itwouldchangeherlife,andshewouldfindherpurpose.
Notonlydidshetaketheriskofapplyingforajobnotnormallyofferedtoblackpeople,shetookthepositionknowingthatshewouldhavetofacethechallengesofworkingwithinafielddominatedbywhitemen.Withthatinmind,shemadeitherbusinesstoexcel,whichinturn,setherplaceinhistory.Dorothyworkedwithanallblack,femalegroupofcomputers,inthesegregatedsectionoftheNACAfacilitycalledtheWestGroup.Duringher28yearsofemployment,Dorothyadvocatedforallofthewomenofhersegregatedgroup,aswellaswhitewomeninotherareasofNACA,forpromotionsandpayraises.
DorothyVaughanwasnotonlyabrilliantmathematician,butwasalsoanexceptionalmachinist.Withthosecombinedskills,shewasabletomastertheFORTRONcomputerandshareherknowledgewiththeWestGroup.
AlongwithhermanypositivecontributionstoNACA,sheiswellknownasoneofthekeypeoplewhohelpedlaunchthefirstUSsatelliteintospace.
DorothyJVaughanwasapassionaterisk-taker.Shebelievedinherselfandsurpassedwellbeyondthelimitsthatsocietyhadplacedonallwomen.Hersuccessopenedthedoorforblackwomen,totheworldofmathematiciansandscientists,sothattheywouldbereadilyacceptedasengineers.
GoVaughnRhinos?
MarthaRipleyMiddleSchool
MarthaG.Ripleywasaphysicianwhosupportedandfoughtforequalrightsforwomenandthewelfareofchildren.Marthalearnedearlyinlifehowimportantitistohelpothers.HerparentsmaintainedanUndergroundRailroadstationinacavebehindtheirhome,andMarthahelpedbybringingtheirfugitivefriendsfooduntiltheycouldsafelysendthemontheirway.
MarthaRipleyMiddleSchool(cont.)
MarthaisbestknownforbeingthefounderofamaternityhospitalhereinMinneapolis,in1888.RipleyMemorialHospitalprovidedmedicalcaretowomenwhowerepregnant,andwouldotherwisebeturnedawayatotherhospitals,becausetheywereunmarried,orlivedlivesthatdidnotfollowsociety’sdecidedrulesforwomenatthetime.
MarthaRipley’shospitaldidsowellatsavingthelivesofinfants,andpreventingthespreadofdisease,thatshewasaskedtogivespeechesnumeroustimestoothermedicalprofessionalsaroundthecountry.Attheselectures,shespokeofwhatitmeansto“healthewholeperson”,byprovidingsocialservicesalongwithmedicalcare.Shealsogaveinstructionsonsomeofthethingsdoctorscoulddotopreventinfectionsandepidemics.
Alongwithhertirelesseffortinthefieldofmedicine,andsocialreform,MarthaRipleyadvocatedforfemaleofficersonthepoliceforce,shelobbiedforaunionforfemaledomesticworkers,(maids)andpushedforupgradesinsanitationandcleanwater.ShewasalsonominatedforDirectorofPublicSchools,butshewasnotelectedbecauseshewasawoman.ShedidallofthesethingswhilesheservedasPresidentoftheWomen’sSuffrageAssociationfrom1883to1889.
MarthaG.Ripleywasawomanwhowasdetermined,outspoken,andthroughoutherlifefoughtforwhatwasmostright.Sheisafineexampleoftheprinciples,andmission,ofourschool.
GoRipleyRhinos?
RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced(cont.)
JusticeAlanPageMiddleSchool
JusticeAlanPagewasthefirstAfrican-AmericanSupremeCourtjusticeinMinnesota.Priortobecomingalawyer,AlanPageplayedmanysuccessfulseasonsfortheMinnesotaVikings.Throughouthiscareeronthebench,Pagewasknownforhishumilityandlevel-headeddecisionmaking.Heretiredattheageof70saying,“IthasbeenanhonortoservethepeopleofMinnesota.”Henowwriteschildren’sbooksandsupportseducationalcauses. AlanPageplayed218gamesover15seasonsintheNFLandnevermissedagame.HeisintheProFootballHallofFameandplayedineachoftheVikingsfourSuperBowls.However,thoseaccoladesarenotwhatMr.Pagewillberememberedfororwhyhisnameshouldbeonourbelovedschool.ItisMr.Page’sdedicationtopublicservice,justiceandstudentsinMinnesotathatmakehimstandout. JusticePage’sgreatestcontributiontosocietyandeducationisthePageEducationFoundation.FoundedbyPageandhiswife,Diane,thePageFoundationhasprovidedover$12millionworthofscholarshipstoover6,000studentssince1988.PageScholarshavebecomeafixtureinMinneapolisschoolsandthefoundationcontinuestosupportstudentsofcolorinMinnesotaschools.Inaddition,Pagecontinuallydoespublicspeakingengagementsaboutraceandeducation.
AlanPage’sspiritisaliveandwellinMinnesotaandwehopethatheisabletoaccomplishmoreintheyearsahead.However,thefactthatheisstillaliveshouldnotdeterusfromcelebratingandacknowledginghislegacytoMinnesotahistory.Helivesonasareminderofhowdetermination,resolve,hardworkandcompassionrepresentthemostMinnesotanofvalues.Hesayshewouldbehonoredtohaveourschoolnamedafterhim!
GoPageRhinos?
JusticeAlanPageMiddleSchool(cont.)
RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced(cont.)
PrinceRogerNelsonMiddleSchool
Princeisthemostcommerciallysuccessfulmusicianofalltimesellingover100millionalbumsandmore-
buthedidn’tmakeartjusttomakemoney.Hismusicpromotedmessagesofblackpride,self-love,lovinglifeandbeinghappywithwhoyouare.AtthecoreofPrince’smusic,hestoodforthemarginalized,thevoiceless,andthosewithcomplicatedidentities.Hereshapedhowweperceiveblackness,malemasculinity,andsexuality.
Princeredefinedmusicasweknowit,andcreatedadefinitive“Minneapolissound”throughouthisventures.Heraisedmoneyforover100,000low-opportunityyoungadultstogettechjobs.Hewasatruebelieverinadvancingtechnologyandsoughtwaystobenefityoungpeopleofcolorfromlowincomebackgroundstogetgainfulemploymentandknow-howintheindustry.
Princealsoanonymouslyraisedover1.5milliondollarsforBlackLivesMatterand$250,000totheEauClairePromiseZonetohelpfundpreschools.Hewasneveronetoboastorreporthischaritableaction.This,alsospeakstohischaracter,generosityandlegacy.
PrinceisaveryworthyschoolnamenominationbecausehechallengedourperspectivesonwhatitmeanstobeAfrican-American,aman,anartistandaMinnesotan.Heisagreatexamplestudentsaswelooktowardsafuturewherewewillrefusetobeafraidofourdifferencesandembracewhowetrulyare.PrincegrewupinMinneapolis,learnedmusicinMinneapolisandwenttopublicschoolsinMinneapolis.Althoughhediedlastsummer,hislegacywillliveonaslongasthereismusicintheworld.Prince’smessagecarriedananthemofboth“it’soktobewhoyouare”and“it’soktoexpresswhoyouare”-adviceeveryyoungmindshouldlive bywhileseekingknowledgeandgrowth.
GoPurpleRhinos?
RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced(cont.)
BdeOta (Buh-dayOh-tah) MiddleSchool Bdemeans“lake”andOtameans“many”intheDakotalanguage.BdeOtaisalsothenamethattheDakotapeopleusetorefertoMinneapolis.Ourschoolislocatedbetweenthe“manylakes”ofourcity.Didyouknowthat“MinneorMni”meanswaterinDakotaand“polis”meanscityinGreek?Manyresidentsofourcityandstateareunawarethatsomecommonlyusednamesforplaces,streets,lakes,andneighborhoodshavenamesthatoriginatedwiththeDakota. AlthoughBdeOtaisnotafamiliarword,itiseasytosay.Bdeisalsobecomingmorecommon.LastyearLakeCalhounwasgiventhealternatename-BdeMakaSka(oneoftheoriginalnamestheDakotapeoplecalledthelakebeforeEuropeanAmericansettlement). NamingourschoolBdeOtawouldbeachanceforustofocusinontheenvironmentandappreciatethebeautythislandoffers.InDakotaculture,itismoretraditionaltonameaschoolorplaceafterthelandscapearounditinsteadofaperson.Byhighlightingtheuniquenessofourmanylakes,wearehonoringourplaceonthislandthatpeoplehaveenjoyedformanyyears.Waterisanessentialpartoflifeandjustblocksfromourschool,theMinnehahaCreekconnectsournumerouslakes. Finally,thenameBdeOtawouldhelptellthecounterstorytothatofAlexanderRamsey.For85yearsourschoolhashadanamesakethatrecognizesthemanwhohelpedsettleanddevelopourstate.Thoughweliveheretodaybecauseofthisdevelopment,itwasaccomplishedattheexpenseoftheDakotapeoplewhowerepushedoffthisland,forcedtochangetheircultureanddrivenontobarrenreservationsandconcentrationcamps.FortheDakota,AlexanderRamseyrepresentsgenocide,brokenpromisesandtheattempteddestructionoftheirculture.NamingourschoolBdeOtacouldcontinuethis85-yeareducationaldialoguearoundthemanyfacetsofhistoryandhelprecognizetheoriginalpeoplesofthisplacethatAlexanderRamseytriedto“exterminate”.
GoBdeOtaRhinos?
RenameRamseyMeeting
Toprovidefeedbackontheseoptions,pleasejoinusonTuesday,February28at6:00pmfordinner,followedbyaprogramat6:30.Allareinvited:neighbors,alumni,students,families,historians&communityleaders!TheeventwillbeheldatRamseyMiddleSchool.Dinnerandchildcarewillbeprovided.
ComeforapresentationbystudentsoutliningourtopnewnamechoicesassubmittedandchosenbytheRamseyMiddleSchoolcommunity.Then,attendeeswillparticipateinsmallgroup-listeningsessionstodiscusstheirnamepreferences.
PleasespreadthewordaswellasRSVPtoPaulSommers([email protected])orMissElissa([email protected])fordinner/childcare.
FormoreinformationaboutourRenameRamseyefforts,seeourwebsite:RenameRMS.weebly.com
ThankyoutoEVERYONEthathascontributedtotheRenameRamseyinitiative!–Ed.
RenameRamseyFinalistsAnnounced(cont.)
