Jennifer Lawrence's "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2" co-star Julianne Moore has joined a campaign to have the name of her high school changed from that of a Confederate General.
Established in 1959, Moore's high school in Fairfax , Virginia called J.E.B. Stuart High School is named in honour of a civil war commander and in protest of a United States Supreme Court decision to integrate schools, according to the Daily Mail. Stuart was a slave owner who left the US Army and joined the Confederacy.
The Oscar-winning actress together with high school friend and Hollywood producer Bruce Cohen have joined forces to campaign that the school be renamed. Cohen has begun an online petition which has already garnered more than 20,000 signatures.
According to the petition, the school is currently attended by a rich and diverse group of students who deserve more than to be a part of an institution that bears the name of an individual who "fought to keep African Americans enslaved."
The petition further adds that students should not have to apologize for the name of the high school they attend and for the racism it represents. Moore and Cohen, who have worked together on films such as "Big Fish," are suggesting that the school be named after Thurgood Marshall, a Supreme Court Justice.
The Supreme Court Justice was responsible for arguing the Brown vs Board of Education integration case in court prior to joining the Supreme Court.
According to Yahoo Celebrity, Cohen said the reason the name of the high school never changed is because students never considered it wrong. He said finally after many years perceptions have changed and there is momentum that has built up.
The producer said he and Moore decided to join the campaign when they heard about students who were advocating for change. Moore and Cohen both attended the high school during the 1970s.