Our Movement

The Reclaim&Rename platform aims to address issues of systemic racism on Clemson University’s campus by demanding the immediate removal of John C. Calhoun’s name from the Honors College. A figure who advocated for the expansion of slavery as a “positive good,” Calhoun exemplifies white supremacist values which fail to reflect the university’s mission, fail to promote inclusivity and the recognition of diverse perspectives, and fail to support the sanctity of Black lives. Founded in 1962, the Honors College did not adopt the addition of Calhoun’s name until 1981; to change the name of the program, then, is not to “erase history,” but rather, to acknowledge that our understanding of history has evolved. As many universities around the world are tackling the challenge of institutional legacies, we must join the cause by actively pursuing policies and practices of anti-racism on Clemson’s predominantly white campus— a campus which notably occupies a former plantation and was constructed primarily by slave labor. John C. Calhoun’s name represents a persistent and unnecessary obstacle to enhancing Clemson’s diversity and increasing its excellence. To reject the inclusion of this name on the Calhoun Honors College is to renounce racist ideals and affirm the notion that Black lives are valued at Clemson University.