North Suburban Teens Want Joseph Sears School In Kenilworth Renamed, Due To His 'Caucasians Only' Stance

CHICAGO (CBS) -- As the United States grapples with racism, now and in the past, we've heard the calls for some statues to come down, and names of a schools to be changed, mostly in the South, but there's also a call building in north suburban Kenilworth.

Two young men calling for a change to the name of Joseph Sears School say it's time to confront Kenilworth's uncomfortable history.

Nestled in the village of Kenilworth, complete with manicured lawns and pristine American flags, is the Joseph Sears School, the newest brewing controversy in the Chicago area.

"People don't know who Joseph Sears was, and what he actually wanted to do. If they really taught that in this school building, I can guarantee you someone would have started this petition a long time ago," said Jack Yonover, who is helping lead a petition drive to change the school's name, because of his history of racism.

The school is tucked away in an affluent neighborhood that's over 90% white.

"I'm sure it's a lovely place to grow up, and everybody here is really polite," said Solomon Podorovsky, who teamed up with Yonover on the petition drive.

The history of the village itself is why Podorovsky and Yonover are petitioning for change.

"Kenilworth really kind of stands out as the town that limited sales to, whether it be Jewish people or black people, it wouldn't sell to them," Yonover said. "We did some more research. We actually found Joseph Sears, the guy this school was named after, was the guy that put that into place."

Citing historical documents in journals, the two said they learned that, upon founding Kenilworth over 120 years ago, Sears had four visions: "large lots, high standards of construction, no alleys, and sales to Caucasians only." Those four provisos are featured in the biography "Joseph Sears and his Kenilworth," by Colleen Browne Kilner.

Yonover and Podorovsky -- who just graduated from a nearby North Shore High School -- were outraged, saying it's a high contrast from the rosy image they'd learned before. The school website boasts of the founding father as an accomplished businessman who served with the Union army.

The teens exchanged texts, and the outrage became a petition on change.org, with a simple short-term goal.

"We hope to see the name of Joseph Sears School changed," Podorovsky said.

And long-term?

"We want to educate people on who he was, and how this community was built in a racist way," Yonover said.

Which means incorporating the good, the bad, and the ugly of Chicagoland history with racism into the curriculum.

"The biggest thing people say is 'Well, we shouldn't erase history.' This is not about erasing history, this is actually about educating people on history," Yonover said.

The petition has garnered thousands of signatures And while it's a start, they say the signatures remain just that, until there is tangible change.

"I think trying to fight racism in our country is an effort on all of us. We all kind of have to do our part," Podorovsky said.

Yonover and Podorovsky said the school board seems receptive, but no action has been taken yet.

The village president and the school board did not reply to calls and emails for comment.