MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison will remove a 70-ton boulder from campus on Friday after concerns were raised about its harmful impact on students of color.
Chamberlin Rock sits on top of Observatory Hill and has been on campus since 1925. It was named in honor of Thomas Crowder Chamberlain, a 19th century geologist and university president.
But at the time of its discovery, the rock was referred to as a racial slur that was commonly used at the time to describe any large dark rock. Black students and other students of color pushed for administrators to remove the rock.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank approved its removal in January, but needed the Wisconsin Historical Society’s input since the rock is located within 15 feet of a Native American burial site.
The rock will be placed on university-owned land southeast of Madison near Lake Kegonsa.
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