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Hello,

My name is Alyssa Soejima. J.J. Finley was an architect of lynching in northern Florida as a general in the Confederate States Army and a Circuit Court judge before and after the Civil War. In 1930, a Gainesville elementary school was named in his honor, to memorialize him and his beliefs. I email to demand that the School Board of Alachua County retire this racist confederate memorial in Gainesville by removing Finley's name from this school. This school is one example of the historic and ongoing normalization of racism in Gainesville.

Additionally, I demand the following from the School Board of Alachua County, Alachua County Public Schools, and the City of Gainesville:

-Immediately (today) remove J.J. Finley's name from all signs, social media references, and the school website

-Teach children at this elementary school about U.S. Congressman Josiah T. Walls, from Gainesville. Walls was the third African American to serve in Congress. During Walls' initial term, Walls was removed from office and replaced in Congress by Finley

-Publish the true history of Walls and Finley on the school's web site, including a full description of the 90-year honor and memorial to Finley and his beliefs

-Acknowledge the role that the J.J. Finley faculty, Alachua County Public Schools, and the SBAC played in failing to properly educate children in Alachua County about Walls

-Use all J.J. Finley PTA monies to fund a playground at a poorly funded elementary school, as a reparation for the curiously funded and named J.J. Finley Park, built in 2019 by the Gainesville City Commission on Alachua County Public School property at the school

-Donate all football parking funds to underfunded schools, in perpetuity, from the football parking concession at this elementary school, located a few blocks from the University of Florida football stadium

-Apologize for several decades of honor and memorial to Jesse Finley, and the associated normalization of racism

-Rename the school for Josiah T. Walls

I support an immediate name change process. We ask that the School Board stand on the right side of history, denouncing racial injustice and the normalization of racism, to promote a healthy and exceptional learning environment for all children.

Sincerely,

Alyssa Soejima

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