CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The official renaming of Venable Elementary to Trailblazer Elementary happened Monday.

Trailblazer was named in honor of the Charlottesville 12, the students who desegregated Charlottesville public schools in 1959.

Members of the group and community partners cut the ribbon in front of the student body.

Charles "Alex-Zan" Alexander, a member of the Charlottesville 12, walked up the same stairs at Venable Elementary 65 years ago. He said it's time to pass on being a trailblazer to the current students.

"Education was important, that it's not about the color of your skin but the goodness and greatness that lies within. I want them to learn and blaze a new trail and become listeners, thinkers, and set the course for a better future for themselves," he said.

Trailblazer also has a new mascot, the eagle. One student says the eagle was chosen because it stands for liberty and justice.

The renaming is part of a larger effort to rename schools named after figures that leaders say have questionable pasts in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.