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Wingate University admits namesake sold slaves

Started by Wahoo Redux, May 09, 2021, 05:28:46 PM

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Wahoo Redux

Wingate University is setting up a committee to determine how to deal with the fact that its namesake (not it's founder, incidentally) was a slave dealer.
Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

Caracal

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on May 09, 2021, 05:28:46 PM
Wingate University is setting up a committee to determine how to deal with the fact that its namesake (not it's founder, incidentally) was a slave dealer.

I really don't understand why everyone is always shocked to find these things out. Or I guess I do understand. Slavery was integral to the 19th century south, and closely connected to the economy of the rest of the country. Just about any institution or prominent person is going to be be connected to slavery. I think its valuable for institutions to look at their history and reckon with it, but to be surprised that some wealthy guy in North Carolina sold human beings betrays a really fundamental ignorance of that history.