Internet weighs in as Yale issues apology for 'role in slavery' after study sparked by George Floyd's death
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT: Yale University issued a formal apology Friday, February 16, for its ties to slavery and announced several new initiatives aimed at researching its history and making amends.
In the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 murder, the Yale and Slavery Research Project, led by Professor David W Blight, undertook a four-year-long research to seek knowledge about its connection to slavery, as per Daily Mail.
In a statement, Yale President Peter Salovey said, "This is a truth that we have to confront. Confronting this history helps us to build a stronger community and realize our aspirations to create a better future."
Four-year research project helped Yale identify 200 people held as slaves by the university's founders and early leaders
The research project documented how some of Yale's founders and early leaders owned slaves. It also found that Connecticut Hall, the oldest campus building, was partially constructed using enslaved labor.
In 1831, prominent Yale community members even joined New Haven leaders to successfully oppose a proposed college for Black students, which would have been the first Black college in America.
The university noted, "Although there were no known records of Yale University owning enslaved people, many of Yale's Puritan founders owned enslaved people, as did a significant number of Yale's early leaders and other prominent members of the university community, and the Research Project has identified over 200 of these enslaved people."
It added, "Acknowledging and apologizing for this history are only part of the path forward."
Yale is the latest prominent university to acknowledge historical ties to slavery and racism
Several prominent universities are working toward acknowledging ties to slavery and racism. In April 2022, Harvard dedicated $100 million to research and make amends for its "extensive entanglements with slavery," according to CNN.
Students at Brown University voted in 2021 to support reparations to descendants of enslaved people. Princeton removed President Woodrow Wilson’s name from campus buildings in 2020 over his racist policies.
Along with its apology, Yale announced new initiatives to promote educational access, reflect its full history across campus, share research findings, and foster an inclusive community.
Actions include expanding partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities, better recognizing Yale's slavery history on campus and creating widespread public access to research findings.
"The Yale and Slavery Research Project is part of Yale’s broader Belonging work to enhance diversity, support equity, and promote an environment of welcome, inclusion, and respect," asserted the university.
Internet reacts to Yale University's apology for its historical ties to slavery
In response to Yale's apology for its historical ties to slavery, the netizens wasted no time to express their opinions.
One Facebook user expressed, "I do not want to hear any more apologies unless it comes with a financial payment. Otherwise, it's just lip service."
Another questioned the delay, pondering, "What was so difficult about making a simple apology that it took Yale this long?"
"Considering no one alive today was a slave, pretty sure the apology is meaningless," stated a person.
Someone else claimed, "If Yale was serious, they would liquidate their entire endowment and pay reparations," while one more chimed in, "Why don’t they pay reparations?"
Another person commented, "No actual slave holders said anything. And no actual slaves heard them say it."
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
