Daniela Brighenti Photo
Activists’ temporary renaming of Calhoun last week.
Yale University President Peter Salovey Monday reopened the door to possibly renaming Calhoun College, which is named for infamous slavery proponent John C. Calhoun.
Salovey announced in an email to the Yale community the formation of a “Committee to Establish Principles on Renaming,” which will establish ground principles “to guide the university’s decisions on proposals to remove a historical name” from campus buildings or areas.
He noted particularly that the name of John C. Calhoun could be reconsidered, despite a decision last April to keep the name of the college.
“After these principles have been articulated and disseminated, we will be able to hold requests for the removal of a historical name — including that of John C. Calhoun — up to them,” Salovey wrote in the email.
The announcement follows an embarrassing episode for Yale involving Calhoun College and race: the university police arrested — on a felony charge — Calhoun dining hall worker Corey Menafee after he broke a stained glass panel depicting slaves carrying bales of cotton. After an initial story published in the Independent brought the case to national attention, community activists, student groups, and Yale faculty rallied behind the worker, and the university asked a state prosecutor to stop pursuing the charges brought by Yale University police. Menafee’s case was nolled; and Yale rehired the worker after he had “resigned” under pressure.
Community members said protests will not stop until the University decides to change the Calhoun name. At a rally last Tuesday, activists temporarily “changed” the name of Calhoun College to Douglass College, after abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
“We are changing [the name] to Douglass now, as a community, until Yale decides to do it,” John Lugo of Unidad Latina en Acción said at the rally. He said his group and other activists will rally at the corner of College and Elm every Friday until the Calhoun name is officially changed.
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp has also called for renaming Calhoun College.