WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
A regional education agency named for former U.S. Sen. Lewis Cass is dropping the name.
According to the Associated Press, trustees last week voted unanimously to change the name of the Cass Intermediate School District.
A new name will be selected in January.
The AP story said Cass, who died in 1866, was a U.S. senator as well as governor of Michigan before it became a state. He also owned slaves and removed Native Americans from tribal lands while serving in President Andrew Jackson’s administration.
ISD superintendent Brent Holcomb said the decision is an opportunity to show grace and that dropping Cass’ name is a big deal relative to some of the minority populations in the community.
Trustees formed a committee to look at the name after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took Cass’ name off a state building in Lansing.
The Cass ISD provides special-education and career technical-education coordination to local schools. It serves Cass County and small parts of Berrien, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.
Tragic to hold historic to modern standards, stripping the county of its history because it offends people today. No one is safe if this is the standard for history.