HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers will consider measures that would rename the state’s oldest public high school to remove President William McKinley.
HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers will consider measures that would rename the state’s oldest public high school to remove President William McKinley.
Two House resolutions seek to acknowledge McKinley’s role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom by changing McKinley High School’s name to Honolulu High School, Hawaii Public Radio reported Tuesday.
McKinley signed a resolution annexing Hawaii in 1898. Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900 and a state in 1959.
“Besides McKinley’s role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom we also learned about the indoctrination of students during that time and how students were forced to basically pledge allegiance to America,” said Jodi Kunimitsu, a math teacher at Maui High School and the state chair for the Human and Civil Rights Committee of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
Kunimitsu also believes a McKinley statue on the school’s grounds should be removed.
The Hawaii State Teachers Association supports the effort to rename the school, KHON2 reported Tuesday.
“As a Native Hawaiian woman who grew up under colonization, I personally experienced what colonization does to a child at a very young age,” said Laverne Moore, a Hawaii State Teachers Association lobbyist and McKinley High School special education teacher. “I was forbidden to speak my native tongue. I was forbidden to have a Hawaiian first name. I lost my language. I lost my cultural practices and beliefs.”
Moore started teaching McKinley in 2001, KHON2 reported. Although she loved it, she always struggled with the school’s name because of what he did.
“We must change the school’s name for our indigenous people,” said Moore. “So many who endured this hardship before me have passed, and I fear once my generation is gone, the desire to regain what was stolen from us will slowly fade away.”
A House hearing will be held on the measures Thursday.
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Bad idea. Many wonderful doctors came out of McKinley High School Tigers. It has been a traditions passed down from generations. To change it would be a downright political. The degree and the name is more important than the political side to this notion of Hawaiian and their culture. Or rights.
No to cancel culture.
Great Idea, remove the criminal’s name. It’s not political, but the humane thing to do. Hawaii was raped and pillaged by people in power, through manipulation, lies, and gun powder!
So all you American patriots.. go find some heroes who aren’t sociopaths…
Would be a shame if Russia, China or Japan took over the Hawaiian Islands.
Natives would not have a say. Foreign Countries would not give them “freedom of Speech” like the USA does. And this is teachers saying this, I guess even teachers are not so educated.
So narrow minded. I guess they would fight bombs and bullets with spears…….lol
Left unmentioned is that McKinley and Roosevelt presided over a war on the Filipinos which was the US’s first Vietnam including war crimes and atrocities. Schools ought not be named after war criminals to ‘honor’ them.
I don’t understand. Why wasn’t the teacher allowed to speak Hawaiian? Or have a Hawaiian first name? Or allowed to practice Hawaiian traditions and customs? She must be over 130 years old to have grown up “under colonization”?
It says that President McKinley was assassinated while he was president under the Republic. Or Annexation. It was renamed in honor of him back in 1907. It was originally Honolulu High School. This was during a time after the overthrow of the monarch, 1893, but after it came the republic or territory of U.S.A. He was assassinated in 1901. McKinley High School.
Right. This and $500 feeding the chickens fines are what the legislature is dealing with. Not important things like adding money to the police budget to police visitors going mask-less. These people need to be voted out!