Benefactor’s Family Demands Refund After University of Richmond Removes Name from Law School

The University of Richmond recently removed the name of T.C. Williams, an early benefactor, from its law school because of his alleged ownership of slaves in the 19th century.

But his descendants say Williams contributed to the demise of slavery and now argue the university should refund Williams’ previously donated money to the institution.

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University of Richmond Renames Six Buildings over Former Namesakes’ Ties to Slavery and Eugenics

The University of Richmond is renaming six buildings and instituting naming guidelines after the Board of Trustees approved the work of the recently-concluded naming commission.

“We recognize that not all members of our community will agree with these decisions,” President Kevin Hallock and the Board said in a Monday message to the community. And we recognize that the University would not exist today without the efforts of some whose names we have removed. The Board’s decision to adopt the principles and remove building names, while ultimately unanimous, was extremely challenging. Members of the Board began this process with strongly held differences of opinion, and the subsequent discussions were candid, thoughtful, and constructive. In the end, the Board concluded that the decisions outlined above are the best course of action for the University.”

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Virginia Redistricting Commissioners Debate Timing, Procedure, in First Meeting Since Census Data Published

The U.S. Census Bureau released 2020 census data on Friday, but on Monday, the Virginia Redistricting Commission voted 14-1 with one abstention to consider August 26 the date of receipt of census bureau data. That’s due to Census Bureau delays that led to the data being released in an older format that will take vendors two weeks to process.

“This situation is very different from, I think, probably any other redistricting effort that has been done since long before World War II,” Senator George Barker (D-Fairfax) said, noting that law requires delivery of census data within a year of the census date.

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Students Protest After University of Richmond Decides Not to Remove Controversial Names from Campus Buildings

The University of Richmond (UR) has decided it will not remove from campus buildings the names of founding President Robert Ryland, who enslaved people, and former University of Richmond Rector Douglas Southall Freeman, who promoted segregation and supported eugenics.

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Richmond, VCU to Co-Host 2021 Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Because of COVID-19

The 2021 Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball tournament is coming to the city of Richmond this year.

Normally viewed as crosstown rivals, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) will serve as co-hosts for the annual championship tournament in order to accommodate for safety precautions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference announced in a news release on Thursday.

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Severity of COVID-19 Impact at Richmond Colleges Unclear as University of Richmond Classes Resume Monday

As Richmond area colleges start the fall semester, the impact from COVID-19 exposure and cases remains unclear.

Both Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the University of Richmond (UR) have implemented new policy and procedures which students, faculty and employees must strictly adhere to.

VCU residential students must complete a daily health survey and there are normal COVID-19 policies such as wearing a mask, social distancing as well as cleaning and disinfecting shared spaces.

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