A Mississippi elementary school will be changing its name from Davis Magnet International Baccalaureate Elementary — after Confederate leader Jefferson Davis — to the Barack Obama Magnet International Baccalaureate Elementary.

Why it matters: PTA President Janelle Jefferson said Obama was the "number one choice" among the students. Jake McGraw, public policy coordinator of the University of Mississippi's Institute for Racial Reconciliation, told NBC News the students' choice "shows that we don't need to shy away from exploring these controversial topics."