Janelle Monae Urges Yale to Rename Calhoun College

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• published: 18 May 2016
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Musician Janelle Monae urged Yale University to change the name of Calhoun College during her performance at Yale’s 2016 Spring Fling concert, saying: “We need the president of Yale to listen to this. Everybody in the top authority — we are hurting. These people are hurting. Change the name. Make some changes to reflect everybody.” Monae and the crowd chanted: "We out here. We've been here. We ain't leaving. We are loved.” More details below from David Shimer of the Yale Daily News. More information about Yale’s controversial decision to keep the Calhoun name follow that. Concert video originally posted by Isaac Stanley-Becker: https://twitter.com/isaacstanbecker/status/726570921889304577. “Spring Fling performers decry Calhoun” by David Shimer, May 2, 2016 http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/05/02/spring-fling-performers-decry-calhoun/ “A typically non-controversial event turned political on Saturday when two performers at Yale’s annual Spring Fling concert called on the University to rename Calhoun College. Elisia Ceballo-Countryman ’18 — a leader of the student activist group Next Yale — said that prior to Saturday’s concert, headline artist Janelle Monae met with students for roughly an hour at the home of Branford College Head Betsy Bradley. They discussed recent naming decisions at Yale, such as the retention of Calhoun College — named for white supremacist and fierce slavery advocate John C. Calhoun, class of 1804 — and the way forward for students. Monae also met with members of the Yale Black Women’s Coalition after the concert. Many students have criticized University President Peter Salovey’s administration for waiting to release the naming decisions until the end of the semester, seeing the timing as an attempt to inhibit student activism. Naming controversies impacted the concert nonetheless. During her performance, Monae decried the decision to retain the namesake of Calhoun College and offered her support in the fight against the University’s decision. Vince Staples, another spring fling performer, spoke out against Calhoun as well. “We need the president of Yale to listen to this. Everybody in positions of authority — we are hurting. These people are hurting. Change the name. Make some changes to reflect everybody,” Monae said at the concert.... During the concert, Monae pointed out that the stage on which she was performing sat atop land once occupied by the Quinnipiac Tribe, adding that she could not imagine living in a building named after a “white supremacist,” in reference to the nearby Calhoun College. She called on all students to fight the Calhoun naming decision. “We all have to take care of each other as human beings,” Monae said. “So when you see something wrong, for all my fans who love me, I’m requesting, if you see something wrong here no matter what color you are we need your support. If you look through history nothing happened without allies. We need you to be allies to those who are being treated with any injustice that you see. Speak up, speak out. It’s all of our problem.” ============= "Yale's Terrible Decision To Keep Slavery Champion Calhoun's Name" http://www.courant.com/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-yale-bad-decision-on-calhoun-college-20160504-story.html 150+ Yale faculty sign petition against Calhoun http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/05/06/faculty-pen-open-letter-against-calhoun/ "Ten Questions For Yale President Peter Salovey" by James W. Loewen http://historynewsnetwork.org/blog/153767 "Students confront Salovey at town hall" http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/04/29/students-confront-salovey-at-town-hall/ "Students threw fake $1 million bills at Yale University's president during an intense town-hall meeting" http://www.businessinsider.com/fake-1-million-bills-at-yale-town-hall-2016-4 "At Yale, a Right That Doesn’t Outweigh a Wrong" http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/30/opinion/at-yale-a-right-that-doesnt-outweigh-a-wrong.html "Yale's mistake on John Calhoun" http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/28/opinions/yales-mistake-on-john-calhoun-opinion-mcwhorter/ "Yale doesn’t need Calhoun College. It needs a real slavery memorial." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2016/05/03/yale-doesnt-need-calhoun-college-it-needs-a-real-slavery-memorial/ "An Open Letter on the Calhoun College Decision" http://www.conversationx.com/2016/04/29/open-letter-calhoun-college-decision/ "Yale Defies Student Calls For 'Calhoun' Name Change" http://www.npr.org/2016/04/29/476124519/yale-defies-student-calls-for-calhoun-name-change "Students hold Calhoun renaming ceremony" http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/04/29/students-hold-calhoun-renaming-ceremony/ ============ This video is shared here for educational, non-commercial purposes.