Dive Brief:
- Duke University has renamed a campus building named after a white supremacist.
- Aycock Hall's new name: East Residence Hall. The building's prior namesake was former North Carolina Gov. Charles Aycock, who was known as an “education governor” and had ties to white supremacist campaigns at the dawn of the 20th century, the News & Observer reports.
- Duke’s board of trustees approved the name change after years of activism by the Duke Student Government and the Black Student Alliance.
Dive Insight:
The decision was probably made easier by the fact that Aycock had no involvement with Duke, and he didn’t donate money for the building. Duke President Richard Brodhead announced the change in a letter to student leaders, and he said a display in the building’s lobby will explain the building’s name and history.
