From White Suburb to Black Majority: The Jim Henson High School Debate in Prince George’s
In 1954, Jim Henson graduated from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, a Prince George’s County still majority white. Today, the county is majority Black, and a bill sponsored by longtime Delegate Anne Healey would rename that same school in his honor. The proposal has sparked debate—not only about budgets, but about identity.
- The Bill: PG 502‑26, sponsored by Del. Anne Healey, requires renaming Northwestern High School as Jim Henson High School before the 2026–27 school year.
- The Symbol: Henson, creator of The Muppets and Sesame Street, is celebrated for blending cultures and teaching inclusion. His legacy resonates with younger generations, but older activists often recall a county very different from today.
The Shift:
- 1950s: Prince George’s majority white suburbia.
- 1970s–90s: White flight, Black middle‑class migration.
- 2020s: County now 58% Black, 11% White, 23% Hispanic, 4% Asian.
- The Optics: Critics argue the renaming honors a white alumnus in a majority‑Black county. Many frame objections as fiscal—signage, uniforms, branding—amid a reported $175 million debt.
- The Generational Divide: Older Black activists, less exposed to Henson’s cultural work, see little reason to honor him. Younger residents may view his creations as symbols of diversity.
- The Delegate: Healey, serving since the 1990s, is a solid Democrat and civil‑rights supporter. Her intent is to honor a world‑renowned alumnus, not to erase identity.
Closing:
The renaming debate is less about puppets than about history. Prince George’s must decide: does honoring Jim Henson celebrate creativity and inclusion, or does it risk sidelining the county’s Black majority identity? The answer lies in how residents reconcile past and present.
📎 Footnotes
1. Jim Henson’s graduation year (1954) – Biographical reference
http://www.jimhensonlegacy.org/jim-henson-biography
2. PG 502‑26 bill synopsis – Maryland General Assembly local bills index
3. Prince George’s County demographics (2023) – Census data
http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/princegeorgescountymaryland
4. County budget/debt context – Local reporting on fiscal status
http://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/pg-county-budget-debt
3. Prince George’s County demographics (2023) – Census data
http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/princegeorgescountymaryland
4. County budget/debt context – Local reporting on fiscal status
http://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/pg-county-budget-debt
Northwestern High's arts program is already called the Jim Henson Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts; this would extend the name to the whole school. (The University of Maryland has a popular statue of Henson (and Kermit) outside the Student Union. https://arboretum.umd.edu/jim-henson-statue-and-memorial-garden )
But as any number of public entities can tell you, it's a lot safer not to name your school etc. after some person. There's no one on earth, living or dead, who has nothing that someone can manage to object to.