Their objection has to do with the former president’s ownership of slaves. Once again, we must ask why no one is demanding that Yale change its name.
The College Fix reports:
Duke students want former president’s name stripped from residence hallSome students at Duke University want to see the namesake of their residence hall canceled due to his past support for the Confederacy and his ownership of slaves.The Craven Quad Council emailed the residents of the dormitory to inform them about Braxton Craven and his legacy. It also reportedly organized a meeting to share the concerns.Craven (pictured) is a former president of Trinity College, which became Duke University, and originally supported the Union and opposed secession, according to the “Dictionary of North Carolina Biography.” However, he supported slavery and owned three slaves himself and came to support the Confederacy.“As Quad Council, we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming community for all our residents and we believe that it is important to acknowledge and address the legacy of individuals who have contributed to our institution’s history,” the council wrote, according to a copy reviewed by The Chronicle. “We also understand the importance of this moment in our university’s history as we come together under the banner of QuadEx and invite everyone to develop a shared identity that unites us.”Additionally, Craven Quad Council asked future and current Quad residents to fill out a survey regarding the name change, as well as take part in a public input meeting.“The public input meeting and survey is meant to be a way for people to provide their opinions and see how most residents feel about it,” the Quad Council wrote, according to the student newspaper.The Fix attempted to reach the Craven Quad Council on April 25 through an online submission form but there were technical glitches so it is not clear if it went through. The Fix also reached out to the student affairs office to ask if it could share questions on if a formal request had been submitted or to provide alternate contact information for the group, but no response was received.
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