Like many students on campus, I feel that the refusal of the board to rename the buildings on campus named after slave owners is not only wrong but shows where their true priorities lie. As a university we are lucky to be in a position where money is no object, or at least does not have to be a main factor in most of our decisions. Despite this, it seems that most controversial acts are done in the name of sparing our institution the loss of donor and alumni support.

Furthermore, another argument made in support of this inaction is that of preserving history in its truest sense. I believe here many parallels can be drawn to the removal of confederate statues over this past year. There is a vast difference between acknowledging our troubled history and proudly displaying it as if it is not troubled. My favorite example to use in this argument is that of Germany’s difficult past. In that country, it is illegal to deny that the Holocaust took place and there are many museums and historical sites that detail the tragic things that happened there. There are not, however, any large statues of Hitler on city streets in affluent neighborhoods. I think the best solution would be to have a small plaque or display in each building for the history of Freeman and Ryland so the history can be taught, while changing the names of the buildings so the problematic history is not being displayed proudly.