When Communities Tell Us Who They Are, We’d Better Listen
By LONNIE KING
When a school board votes to restore a name like Lee, they’re not reaching for compromise. They’re not hiding behind polite euphemisms or politically safe branding. They’re telling us exactly who they are.
That’s what happened in Midland before the current school year began, when the school board voted 4–3 to change Legacy High School back to Midland Lee beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
A Name With History
Robert E. Lee High School opened in 1961—during segregation, in the deep cultural shadow of the Confederacy. For decades, students called themselves “Rebels” with a kind of fierce West Texas pride.
In 2020, amid national protests after George Floyd’s murder, Midland ISD voted to remove the Confederate general’s name. The school was rebranded as Legacy High School, a “safe” alternative meant to move past old wounds.
Now, just five years later, the district has reversed itself. The Legacy name is gone. Lee is back.
There are contributing factors worth noting. Several new school board members ran and won on explicitly anti-woke platforms, promising to roll back what they viewed as unnecessary concessions to political correctness.
Add to that Midland’s longstanding reputation as a buck-the-system, wild-West oil boom town—a place that often wears its contrarian streak as a badge of honor. It’s the kind of community where a large share of residents might proudly describe themselves as quintessentially MAGA.
Against that backdrop, the reversal feels less surprising and more inevitable.
And it’s worth remembering that Midland is not the first Texas community to make such a choice. In Baytown, Goose Creek ISD faced the same cultural pressure in 2020. Yet despite calls for change, they decided to keep the name Robert E. Lee High School.
The precedent was already there: some Texas communities would rather plant their flag than bend to national currents.
The Critics Aren’t Wrong
Opponents of the change are not without reason. For many families, the name still evokes the Confederacy, oppression, and a history that can’t be separated from racial inequality.
Some argue this decision dismisses students of color, wastes taxpayer dollars on signage and branding, and prioritizes nostalgia over inclusion.
Those concerns deserve to be heard.
Why I Think This Matters in a Different Way
Here’s why I ultimately think this vote is significant—not because I like it, but because it’s honest.
When Midland restored the name, they didn’t pretend. They didn’t choose a bland word like Heritage or Unity that papers over the past while still celebrating the same traditions behind closed doors. They said, out loud: We want to be Lee again.
That clarity matters.
It tells me exactly where Midland stands. And for someone like me, that’s all I need to know. If this is what the community values, then Midland is not a place I would ever want to live.
Authenticity Over Camouflage
A name isn’t just a name—it’s a mirror. And Midland’s mirror is unapologetic.
Some will see pride in tradition. Others, like me, will see regression. Either way, the reflection is real. It doesn’t hide.
There’s something to be said for that. Communities that know who they are don’t camouflage their identity. They own it—whether we agree with it or not.
Reversion isn’t regression—it’s recognition.
By choosing Lee over Legacy, Midland has shown us who they are. I don’t like what I see in that reflection. But I’d rather they be upfront than wear a mask.
At least now, the rest of us can make our choices with eyes wide open.
Grace and grit to you! — LK
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When Communities Tell Us Who They Are, We’d Better Listen
By LONNIE KING
When a school board votes to restore a name like Lee, they’re not reaching for compromise. They’re not hiding behind polite euphemisms or politically safe branding. They’re telling us exactly who they are.
That’s what happened in Midland before the current school year began, when the school board voted 4–3 to change Legacy High School back to Midland Lee beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
A Name With History
Robert E. Lee High School opened in 1961—during segregation, in the deep cultural shadow of the Confederacy. For decades, students called themselves “Rebels” with a kind of fierce West Texas pride.
In 2020, amid national protests after George Floyd’s murder, Midland ISD voted to remove the Confederate general’s name. The school was rebranded as Legacy High School, a “safe” alternative meant to move past old wounds.
Now, just five years later, the district has reversed itself. The Legacy name is gone. Lee is back.
There are contributing factors worth noting. Several new school board members ran and won on explicitly anti-woke platforms, promising to roll back what they viewed as unnecessary concessions to political correctness.
Add to that Midland’s longstanding reputation as a buck-the-system, wild-West oil boom town—a place that often wears its contrarian streak as a badge of honor. It’s the kind of community where a large share of residents might proudly describe themselves as quintessentially MAGA.
Against that backdrop, the reversal feels less surprising and more inevitable.
And it’s worth remembering that Midland is not the first Texas community to make such a choice. In Baytown, Goose Creek ISD faced the same cultural pressure in 2020. Yet despite calls for change, they decided to keep the name Robert E. Lee High School.
The precedent was already there: some Texas communities would rather plant their flag than bend to national currents.
The Critics Aren’t Wrong
Opponents of the change are not without reason. For many families, the name still evokes the Confederacy, oppression, and a history that can’t be separated from racial inequality.
Some argue this decision dismisses students of color, wastes taxpayer dollars on signage and branding, and prioritizes nostalgia over inclusion.
Those concerns deserve to be heard.
Why I Think This Matters in a Different Way
Here’s why I ultimately think this vote is significant—not because I like it, but because it’s honest.
When Midland restored the name, they didn’t pretend. They didn’t choose a bland word like Heritage or Unity that papers over the past while still celebrating the same traditions behind closed doors. They said, out loud: We want to be Lee again.
That clarity matters.
It tells me exactly where Midland stands. And for someone like me, that’s all I need to know. If this is what the community values, then Midland is not a place I would ever want to live.
Authenticity Over Camouflage
A name isn’t just a name—it’s a mirror. And Midland’s mirror is unapologetic.
Some will see pride in tradition. Others, like me, will see regression. Either way, the reflection is real. It doesn’t hide.
There’s something to be said for that. Communities that know who they are don’t camouflage their identity. They own it—whether we agree with it or not.
Reversion isn’t regression—it’s recognition.
By choosing Lee over Legacy, Midland has shown us who they are. I don’t like what I see in that reflection. But I’d rather they be upfront than wear a mask.
At least now, the rest of us can make our choices with eyes wide open.
Grace and grit to you! — LK
This is SO good, I've gotta share it!
Related