I don’t know much about the history of Father Junipero Serra of California, but the charges against him are part of a growing trend on college campuses.
The College Fix reports:
Citing ‘violence against California Native Americans,’ Stanford to ax Junipero Serra’s name from campus featuresStanford University will remove Father Junipero Serra’s name from several high-profile campus features after a committee determined it would be the right thing to do, citing “the mission system’s violence against California Native Americans.”St. Junipero Serra was a hugely influential Catholic priest who helped found the California mission system. This was arguably his most significant accomplishment. But according to the committee, made up of faculty, students, staff and alumni, it is also his biggest sin, according to the report.The committee had evaluated Serra’s position on campus alongside his prominent role in the California missionary system and the treatment of Native Americans by missionaries. Published August 18, the report pointed to Stanford’s goal of “full inclusion of people of all backgrounds and perspectives” at the university.“Because the mission system’s violence against California Native Americans is part of the history and memory of current members of the community, we believe that features named for Junipero Serra, who was the architect and leader of the mission system, are in tension with this goal of full inclusion,” it stated.However, the report also recommended that other features on campus named for Spanish missionaries be spared. Why single out Serra? “Junipero Serra has a unique role and stature as the founder and leader of the mission movement,” the report stated.
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