В Рочестере почтили память историка Дэвида Андерсона, посвятив ему школу

Rochester school and city officials remember David Anderson Rochester, N.Y. — The Rochester City School District and City Council paid tribute Thursday to David Anderson, a well-known Frederick Douglass historian, following his death at age 96. The school district renamed School No. 16 the Dr. David and Ruth Anderson Academy in 2024, honoring Anderson and his wife for their contributions to the community. BACKGROUND: Rochester's School No. 16 renamed in honor of Dr. David and Ruth Anderson In a statement Thursday, the district called Anderson "a distinguished Frederick Douglass historian whose passion for African American history and heritage shaped how generations of Rochesterians understand our community and its past." Through his scholarship, leadership, and lifelong commitment to young people, Dr. Anderson inspired educators, students, and community members throughout Rochester. In 2024, the Rochester City School District had the privilege of renaming School No. 16 the Dr. David and Ruth Anderson Academy, honoring the Andersons’ extraordinary lifetime of service and lasting contributions to our community. Dr. Anderson embodied the curiosity, character, and commitment to learning that we seek to nurture in every student. His legacy will continue to live through the school that proudly bears his and Mrs. Anderson’s names and through our work to educate, inspire, and create opportunities for the young people of Rochester. Meanwhile, City Council President Miguel Melendez released a statement on behalf of City Council calling Anderson "a powerful advocate for our City’s African-American community in particular." The passing of Dr. David Anderson is devastating news for our city and to anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. Dr. Anderson was a tireless advocate for Rochester – and was a powerful advocate for our City’s African-American community in particular. Dr. Anderson was a beacon of excellence whose dedication to teaching, mentoring and community are indelible. His lifelong work as a renowned Frederick Douglass Scholar, storyteller and educator led to the renaming of School No. 16 in his and his wife Ruth’s honor in 2024. It will be impossible to fill Dr. Anderson’s shoes in our community, but I know that as a community we can all honor his legacy by carrying on his decency and advocacy. Rest in power Sankofa. Mayor Malik Evans called Anderson a "legendary figure" and a "gifted storyteller with penetrating intellect." As I reflect on awe-inspiring life of Dr. David Anderson, my emotions are mix of deep sadness and immense gratitude. I will greatly miss this legendary figure and can already feel the loss of his monumental presence in my own life and in the life of our community. And I am also tremendously thankful that so many of my peers and I had the opportunity learn from this gifted storyteller and his penetrating intellect. I offer my deepest condolences to Dr. Anderson’s family and many, many friends and collaborators. Thank you all for sharing this great man with Rochester and supporting his life’s mission to reveal, preserve and transmit the genuine history of the African diaspora, from the devastatingly brutal to the wonderfully sublime. Not surprisingly, the word that best describes Dr. Anderson and his work comes from the Akan language of Ghana: Sankofa, which literally means “it is not wrong, or taboo, to go back and retrieve that which has been left behind.” The symbol for this word is a mythological bird with its feet facing forward and its head turned backward. Like the Akan people, Dr. Anderson worked tirelessly to manifest his steadfast belief that the lessons from history – all the lessons, especially those that cause the most discomfort – must be preserved and revealed to serve as a guide to the best possible future. Thanks to legacy of Dr. Anderson, the people of Rochester can look to our collective future with the wisdom of those who are not afraid to embrace the past. Among many other honors, Anderson was appointed to the federal Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission in 2017 and had Nazareth College's Center for Public History renamed in his honor in 2022.