Dive Brief:
- The national conversation prompted by the racially motivated shooting in Charleston, SC, last month has spurred some colleges and universities to rethink their names or the names of some of their campus buildings.
- Calhoun College at Yale University, Calhoun Honors College at Clemson University, and Calhoun Community College in Alabama all honor John C. Calhoun, a politician and strong advocate of slavery whose political theories eventually helped convince the South to secede.
- There have been conversations about removing statues honoring controversial political figures at campuses across the country, but advocacy around name changes is often limited by a lack of awareness among students or faculty of the history behind the name.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities founded in the 18th and 19th centuries are named for the wealthy and powerful people of their time. Many of them fought for slavery, and in the South, many of the respected leaders had a hand in taking the country to war or putting it on that path. While some point to ignorance or a lack of caring on campus communities, others have taken the Charleston shooting, which left nine people dead, as an opportunity to discuss a racist legacy that has been allowed to continue. They argue that removing the statues would not gloss over a shameful history but eliminate a hurtful homage that disrespects core members of the community. The Confederate flag has come down from many buildings in the weeks since the shooting. It remains to be seen whether the tragedy motivates any renaming ceremonies.