Three months after Yale University said it would keep John C. Calhoun’s name on one of its residential colleges, the university announced Monday that it is creating a new committee that could lead to the name being removed.
The announcement is an unexpected reversal of Yale’s position in April, when officials said keeping the Calhoun name was important. Yale President Peter Salovey at the time issued a statement saying, “Ours is a nation that often refuses to face its own history of slavery and racism. Yale is part of that history. We cannot erase American history, but we can confront it, teach it and learn from it. The decision to retain Calhoun College’s name reflects the importance of this vital educational imperative.”
