CancelYale

The #CancelYale movement demands that Elihu Yale's name be removed from Yale University.[1][2]

Elihu Yale, the Second Duke of Devonshire, and Lord James Cavendish attended to by a child slave

In 1718, Yale College was renamed to honor purported slave-trader Elihu Yale for contributions to the university. Elihu Yale was president of the East India Company, a slave trading company.[3][4] More significantly, "Elihu’s gift was the largest private contribution made to the college for the next century."[5][6] Yale University "...relied on slave-trading money for its first scholarships, endowed professorship and library endowment."[7]

History

The controversy over Yale University being named to honor slave trader Elihu Yale dates back to at least 1994. In 2007, Yale University removed a painting which shows Elihu Yale attended to by a child slave. At the time, Yale University stated that the issues with Elihu Yale had begun at least 13 years prior. Although Elihu Yale was the president of the slave trading company East India Company, a Yale University spokesperson claimed that, "...Elihu Yale did not support slavery..." A 2017 Wall Street Journal opinion article also called for renaming Yale University. [8] [9] [10] Since 2016, Yale University has acknowledged that Elihu Yale was "...involved and profited from the slave trade."[11]

Yale's other ties to slavery

After years of protest, Yale University renamed Calhoun College as Hopper College in 2017. Calhoun College was named for South Carolina slave owner and white supremacist John C. Calhoun. [12] [13] [14] Yale University also acquired a slave plantation to finance it's graduate program.[15] Yale University has multiple other buildings named to honor slave owners including George Berkeley, Timothy Dwight and Ezra Stiles.[16]

Controversy

The controversy over Yale's name started anew in 2020 with a conservative columnist's post, "Yale Has to Go!"[17]

References
  1. "#CancelYale: University Founder Called Out for Being a Racist Slave Trader in East India Company". Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  2. "#CancelYale trending on Twitter nationwide". Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  3. "Yale University Traditions". Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  4. "The Ivy League's dark history shows it is not easy to reject charity that involves dirty money". Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  5. "Yale University's The History of Elihu". Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  6. "An astounding tale of slavery and deceit: Yale University's Madras connection". Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  7. "Elihu Yale was a Slave Trader". Yale University Department of History. 1 November 2014.
  8. "Yale removed portrait of its namesake with slave". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  9. "Elihu Yale (English merchant and philanthropist)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  10. "The College Formerly Known as Yale". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  11. "YaleNews". Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  12. "Calhoun College to be renamed for Grace Hopper". Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  13. "Calhoun Who? Yale Drops Name of Slavery Advocate for Computer Pioneer". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  14. "Yale changes name of building honoring slave owner". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  15. "Shackled Legacy". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  16. "Yale Grapples With Ties to Slavery in Debate Over a College's Name". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  17. "Yale Has to Go". Retrieved 2020-07-05.
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