Ray comments on school name changes

Writing in the Baltimore Sun, Daniel Oyefusi, reports on moves to rename two schools in Baltimore county with historical ties to racism. "Loyola Blakefield in Towson and McDonogh School in Owings Mills are facing pressure to distance themselves from their institutions’ history of racism as Black Lives Matter protests continue nationwide," he writes.

Faculty Associate Rashawn Ray provided context, saying that it’s necessary for institutions to be renamed to never repeat the country’s “unfortunate and racist history.”

“What most people have to realize is that most statues and schools named after known racist and slave supporters were implemented during moments in history where racial equity was being pursued,” Ray wrote. “Most confederate statues and schools came about during the Civil Rights movement as opposition to desegregation.”

See the entire Baltimore Sun article