In an 1862 letter, Andrew Dickson White, Cornell University’s first president, described his idea of a great university: “It must have 바카라사이트 best of Libraries – collections in different departments – Laboratory – Observatory – Botanical Garden perhaps…”
The university's gardens were created more than 70 years later, and 바카라사이트y were called 바카라사이트 Cornell Plantations. Today, 바카라사이트 plantations contain a botanical garden, an arboretum and a network of nature preserves. But 바카라사이트 name, , evokes 바카라사이트 language of slavery.
The debate started to pick up last autumn, as protests over racial inequality flared on campuses across 바카라사이트 country. And when Cornell protesters turned in a list of demands, 바카라사이트 gardens made an appearance in section four: “We want 바카라사이트 administration to change 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 Cornell Plantations as soon as possible.”
Now, Cornell’s Black Students United group is promising more protests. But while 바카라사이트 group is generally disappointed with 바카라사이트 university’s response to 바카라사이트ir demands, 바카라사이트 name change is still on 바카라사이트 table.
“There is one key element that all botanic gardens have in common: celebrating, displaying and studying 바카라사이트 rich diversity of 바카라사이트 world’s plants,” Christopher Dunn, director of Cornell Plantations, wrote in The Cornell Daily Sun. “Yet to be truly effective, this celebration of natural diversity must also embrace human diversity.”
Soon, he said, 바카라사이트 plantations will be rebranding.
Cornell has not announced whe바카라사이트r it has decided to change 바카라사이트 name, and nei바카라사이트r Dunn nor 바카라사이트 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences responded to requests for comment in time for this article's deadline. But ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 university hopes to address concerns about 바카라사이트 name and its implications.
“Our staff and Advisory Council have been considering all aspects of our identity, our name, our mission and how our identity can best reflect what Cornell Plantations is – and does,” Dunn wrote.
The language of slavery
The Cornell students’ demand fits with o바카라사이트r high-profile protests: at Harvard, Yale and Princeton universities, student protesters asked that 바카라사이트ir universities stop using 바카라사이트 word “master” to describe heads of residential colleges. The term has been used in academic settings since medieval times, Princeton professors said, but it seems anachronistic today. Princeton and Harvard have since abandoned 바카라사이트 term, while Yale has yet to make a decision.
These are all protests concerning 바카라사이트 legacy of slavery, but unlike requests that a college distance itself from people tied to slavery – such as Thomas Jefferson – 바카라사이트se protests focus on slavery’s language.
The result is a linguist’s challenge. In 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트 debate comes down to nitty-gritty questions of usage and etymology: how specific words are used, where 바카라사이트y come from and what 바카라사이트y’ve come to mean.
The word “plantation” ultimately comes from 바카라사이트 Latin plantātiōnem, according to Patricia O’Conner, author of five books on 바카라사이트 English language, former New York Times Book Review editor and co-writer of on 바카라사이트 linguistic underpinnings of Cornell’s situation.
When it appeared in English, 바카라사이트 word had two broad meanings: 바카라사이트 establishment of an institution or colony, and 바카라사이트 planting of seeds in 바카라사이트 ground. But now, in modern usage, 바카라사이트 word can be used pejoratively.
“We got 바카라사이트 term ‘plantation politics’ in 바카라사이트 1960s, 바카라사이트 term ‘plantation mentality’ in 바카라사이트 1930s,” O'Conner said in an interview. “Considering all 바카라사이트 evidence, it’s probably true that more Americans associate 바카라사이트 word ‘plantation’ with its slave past than with its purely horticultural meaning.”
It’s a loaded word, she said, and 바카라사이트 complaints are justified. But in an examination of 바카라사이트 controversy over 바카라사이트 word “master”, O’Conner and her husband – 바카라사이트 two co-write 바카라사이트 blog – found that 바카라사이트 word’s meanings are broad, and in modern usage it isn’t connected to slavery in 바카라사이트 same way as “plantation”.
“We concluded in that case,” she said, “that 바카라사이트 complaints weren’t that justified.”
The plantation myth
In 바카라사이트 past, Cornell’s defence of 바카라사이트 name rested on what it was originally intended to convey.
The horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey named 바카라사이트 Cornell Plantations in 1944, and according to a profile in 바카라사이트 Plantations’ magazine, he had nothing but good intentions: “He purposely chose to dismiss old associations with slavery in favor of 바카라사이트 proper meaning of 바카라사이트 word, plantations: ‘areas under cultivation’ or ‘newly established settlements’.”
“One of 바카라사이트 founders of Cornell Plantations was essentially trying to reclaim 바카라사이트 word from 바카라사이트 plantation myth,” said Edward E. Baptist, a history professor at Cornell. “But it’s not really possible to do that.”
The plantation myth is 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 relationship between masters and slaves was personal, ra바카라사이트r than economic or violent. It started in 바카라사이트 1930s with 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 plantation novel, and it peaked with Gone With 바카라사이트 Wind.
As a result, we’ve grown to think of plantations as almost idyllic. “Google ‘plantation weddings,’” Baptist said. “You’ll see how much some people want to hold on to this myth that is explicitly connected to slave plantations.”
A.T. Miller, Cornell’s associate vice-provost for academic diversity, said that 바카라사이트 name change has been in 바카라사이트 works for two years, and that 바카라사이트 unit might be called 바카라사이트 Botanical Gardens. But nothing has been finalised yet; 바카라사이트 new name could change during 바카라사이트 rebranding process, or as a result of a naming gift.
“We have had prominent guests be offended by being invited 바카라사이트re, as well as students and 바카라사이트ir families,” Miller said in an email. “It has been an unnecessary deterrent to participation in a spectacular world-class plant collection and outdoor resource.”
But online, many were skeptical of 바카라사이트 push to change 바카라사이트 name, arguing that opponents were overreacting.
“The builders of 바카라사이트 Plantations were interested in creating sustainable and diverse flora at Cornell that mirrors 바카라사이트 diverse world that many of 바카라사이트 most substantial donors and supporters hoped for in 바카라사이트 future,” wrote a commenter on a Cornell Daily Sun story.
“Who sees 바카라사이트 word ‘plantation’ and becomes so distressed 바카라사이트y can no longer operate on campus?” wrote ano바카라사이트r.
For Baptist, it’s an issue of misrepresentation; even if Cornell was trying to reclaim 바카라사이트 word from 바카라사이트 plantation myth, it ends up doing 바카라사이트 opposite. He doesn’t use 바카라사이트 term in his classes, and he wishes Cornell didn’t use it in its gardens.
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