University’s Board of Trustees Rejects Student Demands to Rename Buildings

This happens so rarely that it’s encouraging when it does. People need to say no more often.

The College Fix reports:

University trustees refuse to cave to demand to rename campus buildingsUniversity of Richmond’s Board of Trustees will not change two buildings’ names despite demands to do so from a group of black student activists.“As Trustees, we deeply appreciate our students’ candor in the Statement on Black Student Welfare about their experiences at the University of Richmond. We recognize that we still have important work to do to become the truly inclusive community we aspire to be. We also understand the disappointment and hurt associated with our decision regarding the names of Ryland Hall and Mitchell-Freeman Hall,” the trustees said in March 17 statement on the matter.“…In numerous conversations, the Board gave careful consideration to the question raised by the student governments of removing Ryland’s and Freeman’s names from the buildings on our campus. We believe, however, that removing building names is inconsistent with the pursuit of our educational mission, which informs all of our actions.”The Black Student Coalition is now asking asking professors, students and employees who support their demand to basically go on something of a strike on March 25 in response.“We are not asking any students to disaffiliate from research, student jobs, scholarship-affiliated activities, or any private student support groups. The point of disaffiliation is to cease all uncompensated, extracurricular, public-facing work and programming which UR is in turn able to publicize and profit off of,” the coalition states.According to university research, Robert Ryland “built what became the University of Richmond as the superintendent of the Virginia Baptist Seminary and then as the first President of Richmond College.” He was also a slaveholder.

Tags: College Insurrection, Virginia

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