Western Kentucky University (WKU) continues to honor Margaret Munday — its first Black student and graduate — after the school’s Board of Regents recently voted in favor of renaming Northeast Hall in her honor.
WKU President Timothy Carboni hailed the decision during the third quarterly meeting with the board Friday, saying that the honor was “well-deserved” and overdue since Munday graduated over 60 years ago.
The university has already recognized Munday’s role in the local community by previously inducting her into its Hall of Distinguished Alumni. However, renaming Northeast Hall in her honor marks the first time a building on the WKU campus has been named after an African-American.
Kentucky Today reports that the move follows a struggle at WKU with its legacy of slavery. Buildings and colleges, such as the Potter College of Arts and Letters, the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, and Van Meter Hall, are named after those who owned slaves or enabled slavery.
Caboni created a task force to submit recommendations to address the issue, but many of the recommendations have not been followed. He explained that “extreme measures” might put certain gift agreements at risk.
“I have a fiduciary responsibility to the university and cannot accept any recommendations that would cause us immediate and lasting financial harm. Nor can I put at risk any agreements that are in the long-term best interest of the institution,” he stated in a university memo last month.
Moving Towards Inclusivity
Regent George Nichols III shared that many from the Black community in Bowling Green have felt estranged from the university.
Nichols told the board that people of color have always looked up to the school and want to be part of it. However, many have felt that they are not welcome on campus.
“For us to take this action at this point in time, I think, is admirable,” Nichols said before he made the motion to approve the name change.
“I want our students at WKU who walk our campus to see names and symbols that reflect who they are and what they can be,” Caboni concluded.
Feature image: Innotata/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-2.5