Washington and Lee University will maintain its name after a nearly yearlong review of whether to reconsider its linkage to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The Board of Trustees announced that Friday as well as that there was no consensus regarding a name change. The board, acknowledging that having the university named after Lee can be painful for people who experience racism, voted 22-6 to keep the name. How each board member voted was not disclosed," reports The Roanoke Times.
Photo: The Colonnade of Washington and Lee University from Lexington consists of Payne Hall (from left), Washington Hall and Chavis Hall, which was renamed for the first black graduate of an American college (The Roanoke Times, File 2016)
"A final report examining Virginia Military Institute's culture and policies was published Tuesday, closing out a five-month investigation that was prompted by allegations of racism. The final report prepared by an investigative team recommends that VMI acknowledge that there are racial and gender disparities in how cadets are treated and that the military institute's culture creates and reinforces barriers to addressing those problems," reports The Roanoke Times.
Photo: Virginia Military Institute cadets leave the barracks while participating in the annual parade at the end of the school year on May 11. VMI removed the statue of Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson from campus in December. Jackson’s name is being removed from campus buildings. The report issued Tuesday says that VMI still gives “disproportionate attention” to traditions related to the Civil War era. (HEATHER ROUSSEAU, The Roanoke Times)
This afternoon, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) released the final report from Barnes & Thornburg (B&T) from its equity audit and investigation into the culture and practices at the Virginia Military Institute. The investigation was ordered by Governor Northam and legislative leaders in October 2020. The final report, its appendices and exhibits (along with the initial and interim progress reports) are available on the SCHEV website under the “Investigations” section.
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