Reexamining Roland Grise Middle School

Wilmington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 26, 2026 · 2m

New research exposes Herrick M. Roland, namesake of Roland-Grise Middle School, as a former superintendent who actively promoted racist ideologies, distributing pamphlets claiming Black students were intellectually inferior and better suited for separate schools — even after retirement and while testifying in Washington D.C. The revelations, detailed in the upcoming book “They Stole a City,” are reigniting debate over whether the school should be renamed, as community members weigh historical legacy against the cost of honoring someone tied to systemic racism. The county’s recent renaming of…