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James Madison University, in Virginia, announced on Monday it would recommend to its governing body that the university rename three buildings named for Confederate military leaders -- Jackson, Ashby and Maury Halls.
The university is recommending to the JMU Board of Visitors the immediate removal of the names and the assignment of temporary names, to be followed by the establishment of an "inclusive" process for developing new names over the coming academic year.
"We know that these names are a painful reminder of a history of oppression, and that they send an unwelcoming message to Black students, faculty and staff in particular, JMU president Jonathan R. Alger said in a statement. "That is not who we are or who we want to be."
Alger said he anticipated "dissenting views, including some who argue that such a change will cause us to ignore or forget our own history. Understanding and sharing our history is indeed also a part of our educational mission. Accordingly, we will not forget or ignore that history -- but we will put it into an educational context. As we move forward, we will describe the history of these buildings and their names over the years through internal building signage, QR Codes, and our website."
Alger said the university is not reconsidering changing the name of the university, which is named for the fourth president of the United States -- and a slaveholder.
"It is certainly true that James Madison himself owned slaves during his lifetime, and as an institution we have taken important steps to tell the full history of Madison and of his times," Alger said. "We recognize his flaws as well as his virtues -- a combination that describes all of us, and our times as well as his. But that is not the reason why his legacy is honored through the name of this university. The university itself was renamed for James Madison because he is internationally recognized as the Father of the US Constitution and the primary author of the Bill of Rights, which have served as the very framework for democracy in our country and as a model for nations all around the world."
