Students hail UWI’s Freedom Hall

Residents of the newly renamed Freedom Hall were happy to be part of the name-change process and are pleased with the outcome.

Nikoli Edwards, public relations officer of the University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Guild of Students, said the guild understood the need to change the name of the residential hall from Milner Hall and was pleased that the university allowed students, especially the residents, to choose the name.

A release from UWI on Friday said the process to review the name as well as a series of consultations began in October 2017. The process began because of a report compiled by Professor of South African History, Pro Vice-Chancellor Alan Cobley, which recommended the change from Milner.

The release said, “The report confirmed the association of Lord Alfred Milner, whom the hall was named after, with crimes against humanity in Africa among other actions driven by his self-proclaimed ‘British race supremacy’ ideology.”

The new name was approved on February 20 by the Campus Finance and General Purposes Committee and the University-wide Finance and General Purposes Committee

According to Edwards, during the process of consultation, it seemed UWI had already made up its mind to change the name. However, the administration was going to be given the responsibility. “After strategic lobbying on the part of the residents of Milner and the Guild of Students, we were able to get the university to give that responsibility to the residents themselves.”

He said the residents of the hall self-identified as Milnerites and were fond of the name. “The residents had an attachment to the name Milner Hall and it would have been difficult for them to leave it behind. There were years of a culture surrounding that name – when they chant, when they wear their T-shirts, they all bear the name Milner Hall.”

He said even though the hall had a long legacy that was difficult to leave behind, the students were understanding of the situation and compromised. They deliberated, recommended a name, and it was accepted.

Edwards also praised the Milner Hall chairman, Dayreon Mitchell, as he led the process among the residents, who he said, now felt they had to develop a new identity around Freedom Hall.