A commission tasked with examining Baylor University鈥檚 historical connections to slavery and racism recommends changing the names of some campus buildings and relocating some statues, but giving a pass to the school鈥檚 slave-owning founder, according to a report released by the school鈥檚 board of regents.
The board last June when it passed a unanimous resolution acknowledging Baylor鈥檚 connection to slavery. It accepted the commission鈥檚 report at its meeting last month and charged university leaders with developing an action plan based on the recommendations.
The board鈥檚 chair, Mark Rountree, wrote in a letter to the university community Tuesday that the board is committed to presenting a more complete history of the university but 鈥渨ill continue to recognize Judge R.E.B. Baylor for the founding of Baylor University,鈥� the reported.
The report鈥檚 authors said that if a statue of Judge Baylor won鈥檛 be taken down, the inscription on it 鈥� 鈥渉e exemplified in his life the motto of Baylor University Pro Ecclesia/Pro Texana鈥� 鈥� should be changed, since the current one implies an acceptance of his past as a slave owner.
The report also recommends renaming several campus buildings, removing other statues, and even relocating university bells, which were used to mark slaves鈥� workdays.
鈥淎t the end of the day, they鈥檙e all recommendations,鈥� said Sam Onilenla, a junior at Baylor who has been pushing for racial equality measures on campus. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about implementing those recommendations that we鈥檙e going to have to see.鈥�