An on-campus coffee house at Fordham University has recently announced that it is in the process of condemning the man who it is named after, citing how he owned slaves.
Rodrigue’s, the coffee house on Fordham’s campus that is run and operated by Fordham students, recently updated the coffee house’s constitution after a vote to condemn William Rodrigue, the man that the coffee house is named after.
Rodrigue was an architect who designed some of Fordham’s buildings, and lived at one point inside of the building that the coffee house now operates out of, as reported by The Fordham Ram.
The report points out that Rodrigue and his family emigrated from Saint-Domingue following the Haitian Revolution in the late 18th century and his family were slave owners.
The Co-Presidents of Rodrigues, two students at Fordham University, stated that the measures to condemn the history of the building is important, as they are trying to form a “safe space.”
The amendment will not only include a condemnation of William Rodrigue and his family in their “role in promoting slavery,” but also includes a call to action for its members to act on the condemnation.
The amendment states that “The members of Rodrigue’s Coffee House recognize that the man who serves as its namesake was morally and politically reprehensible, condemning his role in pro-slavery agitation in the University’s early history. The members will strive to create an environment of openness, social awareness, and recognition of essential equality between persons in resolute defiance of this legacy.”
The amendment will now go to approval from the coffee house’s academic advisor, and two Fordham deans.
One of the co-presidents of the coffee house stated to The Fordham Ram that one of the purposes that the statement will serve is to make sure students know that “this history did happen,” and “[T]hat’s a really big step in making Fordham comfortable for people who come from everywhere.”
A separate Fordham publication reported earlier this year that Rodrigue’s has hosted a number of events such as drag shows, and “speak-outs” for Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
