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The trustees have concluded that Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms.

The public policy school will now be known as “The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs” or @PrincetonSPIA and the residential college will be known as “First College.”

In 2015, student activists occupied President Eisgruber’s office, which led to the creation of the Wilson Legacy Review Committee. The committee and the board recommended reforms to make #PrincetonU more inclusive and more honest about its history, but kept Wilson’s name.

As the tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks drew renewed attention to the long and damaging history of racism in America, the board reconsidered the Committee's conclusions and convened a special meeting on June 26.

Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time, taking America backward in its pursuit of justice. He not only acquiesced in but added to the persistent practice of racism in this country, a practice that continues to do harm today.

People will differ about how to weigh Wilson’s achievements and failures. Part of our responsibility as a University is to preserve Wilson’s record in all of its considerable complexity.

#PrincetonU is part of an America that has too often disregarded, ignored, or excused racism, allowing the persistence of systems that discriminate against Black people.

The steps taken on June 26 by the Board of Trustees are extraordinary measures. These are not the only steps our University is taking to combat the realities and legacy of racism, but they are important ones.