Contributed By Scott Lipscomb

In today’s society we have no room for racism or promoting hate. Emory University announced the Atlanta campus will be renaming some buildings due to who they honor.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that “the university’s Longstreet-Means residence hall will be renamed Eagle Hall. Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, president of Emory College from 1839 to 1848 and namesake of the building, was a strong advocate of slavery and secession.”

Emory University President Gregory Fenves said, “It is inappropriate for his name to continue to be memorialized in a place of honor on our campus.”

Other name changes are set to come on the Oxford Campus, where they will honor Superior Court Judge Horace J, Johnson Jr. Johnson was the first Black Superior Court judge to serve in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit in Newton and Walton counties. Johnson also helped break the color barrier in public school in the 1960s.

On June 17, Emory held a Juneteenth ceremony in which it apologized to a Black medical school applicant who was denied admission in 1959 because of his race. These actions came after a protest for the death of George Floyd.

Fenves also said, “By understanding our history and expanding the Emory story to include voices, perspectives, and contributions that were overlooked or silenced, we are creating a deeper understanding of who we are and all we can achieve as a university.”