As an alum, glad to see you report on this, John. And like you, I'd have liked to see more recent events covered. When I attended my class's 50th reunion (in 2019), my sense was that a significant contingent of alums were pretty hard right in many ways, including on matters of racial reconciliation. My encouragement comes from the presence of faculty such as Esau McCaulley (and others).
That this is "better than" other institutions doesn't leave me feeling as if enough has been done, or will be done.
I do appreciate that this was done, but likewise I wish they were willing to look at little more recently. I was a student in 1991-95 and remember several incidents that are not large enough to have made the report (I am only 1/3 of the way through the report so far.)
The incidents I know of were not long ago. And when I was there I was completely unaware of a period that did not have black students. The abolitionist roots were celebrated and the points where minority students were not allowed on campus was never mentioned. I literally did not know there was a segregationist history until I read Jesse Curtis' book a couple years ago.
So I am glad this is being done, but I also want this to be used for more than just publicity.
I am interested in the fact that they are recommending removing the name of the library which is named after the president in the 1930s (Buswell). That is more tangible than what Southern Seminary was willing to do after their report.
As an alum, glad to see you report on this, John. And like you, I'd have liked to see more recent events covered. When I attended my class's 50th reunion (in 2019), my sense was that a significant contingent of alums were pretty hard right in many ways, including on matters of racial reconciliation. My encouragement comes from the presence of faculty such as Esau McCaulley (and others).
That this is "better than" other institutions doesn't leave me feeling as if enough has been done, or will be done.
I do appreciate that this was done, but likewise I wish they were willing to look at little more recently. I was a student in 1991-95 and remember several incidents that are not large enough to have made the report (I am only 1/3 of the way through the report so far.)
The incidents I know of were not long ago. And when I was there I was completely unaware of a period that did not have black students. The abolitionist roots were celebrated and the points where minority students were not allowed on campus was never mentioned. I literally did not know there was a segregationist history until I read Jesse Curtis' book a couple years ago.
So I am glad this is being done, but I also want this to be used for more than just publicity.
I am interested in the fact that they are recommending removing the name of the library which is named after the president in the 1930s (Buswell). That is more tangible than what Southern Seminary was willing to do after their report.