Post by Logan on Mar 14, 2016 16:20:46 GMT -6
The image of three sheaves of golden wheat arranged inside a blue-and-crimson shield has stood as the symbol of Harvard Law School and its graduates for nearly 80 years.
But sometime next year, the shield, which uses elements of a former slave-holding family’s coat of arms, will be scrubbed from Harvard’s campus. In its place will be a new emblem, officials said Monday — one that better reflects the law school’s values and its mission.
The Harvard Corporation, one of the university’s governing boards, has accepted the law school’s request to change the controversial symbol in time for its bicentennial in 2017. Steps have already been taken to erase the shield from the Web.
The Corporation’s decision comes more than a week after a special committee of law school faculty, students, alumni, and staff recommended that the shield be discarded. The recommendation was endorsed by Martha Minow, dean of the law school, who last November convened the committee.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/14/harvard-law-school-ditch-controversial-shield-with-elements-from-slave-owning-family/UIYgbyviFdwwGKjexZgWqN/story.html