Renamed Montgomery high schools unveil mascots

The logos for the Percy Julian High School Phoenix and the JAG High School Jaguars – From Montgomery Public Schools YouTube video

Montgomery Public Schools has unveiled the mascots for its two renamed high schools.

In a video released to YouTube this morning, the school system announced that Percy Julian High School will be called the “Phoenix” while JAG High School will be the Jaguars. No other announcements were made in the video.

Percy Julian High School is the new name for Lee High School, which had been named for Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and had been called the “Generals.”  JAG is the new name for Jefferson Davis High School, which was named for Confederate President Jefferson Davis and had been the “Volunteers.”

JAG is in honor of Judge Frank Johnson Jr, Ralph Abernathy and Rev. Robert Graetz. Johnson was a constitutional lawyer and federal judge. Ralph Abernathy and Rev. Robert Graetz are two titans of the civil rights movement. The name “JAG” comes from the first letter of each honoree’s last name.

Dr. Percy L. Julian was a Montgomery-born Black chemist and pioneer in medicine.

The new names were announced in November of 2022.

Efforts to rename the schools began in the summer of 2020 during the nationwide protests that arose after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Lanier High School had originally been scheduled to be renamed, but the school board voted last year to close that school as part of its capital improvement plan. Those students will be shifted to Carver High School.