Change coming to Lexington?

There will be if a segment of Kentucky’s faculty get their way.

According to Kentucky Sports Radio, the faculty of the African-American and Africana Studies (AAAS) program has officially asked Kentucky to change the name of Rupp Arena by submitting a letter to Kentucky President Eli Capilouto. Capiluouto is also currently the President of the SEC.

Here is the letter the AAAS has submitted to Capilouto:

“The University should rename Rupp Arena. The Adolph Rupp name has come to stand for racism and exclusion in UK athletics and alienates Black students, fans, and attendees. The rebuilding of the arena and the convention center offer an opportunity to change the name to a far more inclusive one, such as Wildcat Arena. In addition, the University should survey all campus buildings and remove all names of enslavers, Confederate sympathizers (such as William C.P. Breckinridge), and other white supremacists.”

These requests are also being made by the AAAS:

  • Ensure that UK and its contractors maintain the current percentages of Black staff at every level as we weather the current financial environment and commit to increasing diversity among the staff at all levels.
  • Require a course on race and inequality for all undergraduates
  • The University must increase Black representation among faculty to 15%, which reflects the Black population of Lexington
  • Appoint more Black faculty and staff to leadership positions
  • Increase support for Black students
  • Establish a system or systems of accountability for individuals who commit racist and other acts of discrimination on campus
  • Fund the new Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies
  • Join the Universities Studying Slavery collective and initiate a major study of the histories of slavery and racism within the institution
  • Institute a policy that minimizes its cooperation with federal state and local law enforcement agencies including Immigration Customs and Enforcement (I.C.E) and the Lexington Police Department

Kentucky has yet to officially respond to this request by the AAAS.