Plans to Remove ‘Racist’ Rock From UW-Madison Stalled by Concern Over Native American Burial Mounds
“The boulder had traveled to the region over 10,000 years ago, deposited by ancient pre-Cambrian bedrock drift from Canada, according to its plaque.”
The student activists pushing for the removal of the rock should have been told to pound sand.
The College Fix reports:
Native American burial mounds stall plans to remove ‘racist’ rock at UW-Madison
University of Wisconsin Madison leaders have yet to make good on their promise to remove a 70-ton boulder on campus deemed racist by some student protesters.
Progress has stalled as officials review concerns that its removal could interfere with Native American effigy mounds.
Campus spokesperson Meredith McGlone told The College Fix the project to move Chamberlin Rock is on standby.
“[B]ecause the rock is located within the boundaries of a cataloged human burial site and is within 15 feet of an above-ground effigy mound feature, state law requires that any disturbance of the soil be granted a permit from the Wisconsin Historical Society,” McGlone said via email.
She said the permit relates to the activity that will have to happen to remove the rock, with the goal of minimizing disturbance to the soil.
“[A] date has not yet been determined for the removal; we are still awaiting action by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The removal plan itself has not changed — we plan to remove the rock from the Madison campus altogether,” McGlone said.
Kara O’Keeffe, director of communications of the Wisconsin Historical Society, told The College Fix she cannot speculate as to when the group would reach a decision on how to proceed.
“The Wisconsin Historical Society and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are in ongoing consultation on the project,” O’Keeffe said. “The Director of the Wisconsin Historical Society will make a final decision once all necessary information is gathered.”
McGlone said the plan is still to remove it.
“We’ll have more information on removal method, cost and new location following action by [the Historical Society]. The university will honor Chamberlin by placing a plaque in Chamberlin Hall,” she said.
The rock was named after Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin, a 19th century glaciologist and University of Wisconsin president.
The boulder had traveled to the region over 10,000 years ago, deposited by ancient pre-Cambrian bedrock drift from Canada, according to its plaque.
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Comments
I have yet to comprehend how an enormous rock which has been in situ for thousands of years can suddenly exhibit racist tendencies and suddenly be oppressing color people.
I guess just changing its name from Old White Guy Busted to New Woke Hotness is no longer sufficient; it must be removed!
Take note, those of you who think the cattle cars are not in our future.
I’m missing something here. What makes this rock racist?
Obviously, pre-Cambrian bedrock drift is a white supremacist notion used to enslave colored people (whoops, I mean People of Color!!).
I thought you meant n…. naturally dark people.
The rock seems to have become racist due to a racist headline in a 1925 headline in the Wisconsin State Journal. This appears to be the only instance anyone’s been able to find of the rock having racist connotations.
This, truly, is racism one must work very hard to find: a 95-year old newspaper headline that seems to be the only offensive reference to the rock.
But to be fair, since the Wisconsin State Journal committed that 95-year-old offense, perhaps that worthy publication should bear the cost of remediating it?
https://www.startribune.com/university-of-wisconsin-moves-rock-seen-as-symbol-of-racism/600085428/