The University is constantly reproducing and remaking its institutional memory by grappling with its own history. Below are some of its efforts:
provost's symposium: American universities, monuments, and legacies of slaveryMarch 30-31, 2018
The Office of the Provost held a two-day conference about memorialization, inviting guest speakers from universities across the nation.
Duke University Office of the Provost Official Event Webpage 2018 mlk jr. commemorationJanuary 14, 2018
Titled, "From King to Kaepernick: Progress through Protest," Duke University invited Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) as the keynote speaker.
robert e. lee statue removalAugust 19, 2017
Merely days after protests regarding a Robert E. Lee memorial turned violent in Charlottesville, VA, the Duke community reconsidered its own Lee statue in front of the Chapel, and concurred on its removal. As a result of this incident, President Price established a Commission on Memory.
The Chronicle
"Tracing the history of Duke Chapel's Robert E. Lee statue" by Claire Ballentine and Neelesh Moorthy The Chronicle "Hundreds of alumni sign letter in support of removing Duke Chapel's Robert E. Lee statue" by Staff Reports * Adrienne Harreveld, Trinity ’14, wrote a letter to President Price to remove Robert E. Lee, which got over 1,000 signatures. |
dedication of abele quadSeptember 30, 2016
The Board of Trustees agrees to name Abele Quad for Black architect Julian Abele, who designed much of West Campus. This was done following a committee's recommendations.
Duke University
"Special Moments at Abele Quad Dedication" Video * Duke's Black Student Association and Duke Student Government proposed renaming Aycock Hall after Julian Abele in 2014. Duke history revisited program
2016-present
Organized by the Rubenstein Library and the University Archives, undergraduate students have produced research projects exploring under-researched and unexplored areas of Duke history.
Check out student projects and learn more about the program at the official webpage. renaming of aycock dormJune 17, 2014
The Board of Trustees agrees to rename Aycock Hall on East Campus, to East Residence Hall. NC Governor Aycock supported violent white supremacy and had no relation to Duke University.
Duke Today
President Brodhead's letter to students The Washington Post "This Duke dorm is no longer named after a white supremacist former governor" by Abby Phillip * Duke's Black Student Association, in collaboration with Duke Student Government, had been pushing for this name change since January 2017. |
