Editor’s Note: The proposed name change to “Vassall” has officially been adopted.
For years, the CPS district, which prides itself on being progressive, has been sending middle school students to a school named after a family that famously enslaved people. Both in Cambridge and in Jamaica, the Vassals gained their wealth through human enslavement via their large family plantation. Concerned students, families, and teachers have pushed for reform and, as of last year, motions have been made to change the name. The original deadline for a proposal was December 31st, 2022, and a new name was to be agreed upon by the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Unfortunately, Cambridge Public Schools and the School Committee did not meet this deadline and are still in the process of finalizing a new name. In Cambridge, there has been an overwhelming amount of support among different groups, including students, administrators, and teachers, as well as the city itself, to enact this name change. “It’s more important to get the name right than [it is] to move fast,” a CPS parent told the Register Forum. “Knowing that the naming process is underway already takes away from whatever symbolic recognition the original Vassal would get from the school name.”
The latest proposed name is “Darby Turk,” suggested in a School Committee meeting as a way of honoring two notable Cantabrigians, Darby Vassall and Dr. Carolyn Turk. Darby Vassall was a civil rights activist who helped co-found the African Society and supported Black communities in Boston during the times of the Revolutionary War. As a child, he was enslaved in Cambridge by the Vassal family. The other namesake, Dr. Carolyn Turk, recently retired as the Deputy Superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools after nearly 50 years of service.
The proposed name, while well-intentioned, has met resistance from several members of the community. A parent who wrote to the School Committee shared with the Register Forum, “omitting Darby Vassall’s surname in the school name, albeit the name of his enslavers, echoes the demeaning use of only first names for enslaved people.” The newly proposed name also reportedly does not have the support of Darby Vassall’s family. In response, the School Committee has stated they will reconsider “Darby Turk” and are likely to name the school solely after Darby Vassall. School Committee member Rachel Weinstein told the Register Forum, “We became more comfortable keeping the Vassall name as we learned that the family had chosen to maintain it, making it their own by adding an ‘L.’”
While some have noted this leads to further delays, others welcome the opportunity to get the name right. As one CPS parent told the Register Forum, “I’m happy with their choice not to rush into ‘Darby Turk’ and I hope they’ll not shortcut community discussions in choosing the final name.” Indeed, as part of this process, there are new conversations being had about how the city should recognize the contributions of both Darby Vassall and Dr. Carolyn Turk if not through the renaming of the Vassal Upper School. One thing is for certain: the name Vassal Lane Upper School will be changing–it’s only a matter of time and community involvement.
This article also appears in our December 2023 print edition.
