On August 6, the University of Wisconsin—Madison removed the former Chamberlin Rock, a more than 2-billion-year old boulder that has sat at the crest of Observatory Hill on campus since 1925.
The Wisconsin Black Student Union, in partnership with Wunk Sheek, an Native American student organization, led the effort to remove the rock. The University Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor commented, “In the midst of demands for justice following George Floyd’s murder last summer, the students wanted change on campus and they worked hard to see this through. While the decision required compromise, I’m proud of the student leaders and the collaboration it took to get here.” The removal of the rock signifies the university’s dedication to advancing social and racial justice on campus.
A crane sit ready to lift the Chamberlin Rock (UW-Madison News)
Original Newspaper with A Racial Slur | (Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "The Wisconsin State Journal"; "Madison", "Wisconsin"; "October 9, 1925"
What is Chamberlin Rock?
The rock is a rare remaining example of pre-Cambrian era glacial erratics. According to the UW-Madison News, the rock was designated as a monument on campus in 1925 in honor of Thomas Thomas Chamberlin, a renowned geologist who served as the president of the University of Wisconsin from 1887 to 1892. The plaque on the rock honoring Chamberlin has been removed and a new one will be placed on Chamberlin Hall.
Why was the Chamberlin Rock Removed?
The rock was associated with an extremely offensive terminology. On October 9, 1925, the rock was referred to in the Wisconsin State journal headline by a derogatory nickname that included a racial slur. The term was commonly used to refer to any large, dark rock at the time. The phrase fell out of common usage by the 1950s and historians have not found evidence that the term was used by the university in any capacity.
Nevertheless, the term witnessed a historical past when the KKK were present in the Madison area, where “people of color were mocked in minstrel shows at campus facilities and in campus satiric periodicals,” according to the report from YourTango.
The rock sat within catalogued burial sites, which are protected under Wisconsin’s Burial Sites Preservation Law. The university worked closely with the Wisconsin Historical Society to assure minimal disturbance to the sacred burial sites nearby. The Society approved the removal permit on August 2 after seeking inputs from various stakeholders.
The Removal of Racist Legacies
Since June 2020, historic preservation and architectural organizations nationwide have joined a movement to call for the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces, following the death of George Floyd. Many believe that Confederate monuments are proclamations of white supremacy, thus should be abhorrent to all Americans. Some wondered, Does removing a Confederate monument mean you’re erasing history? In support of the movement, the National Trust for Historic Preservation replied:
No. History is not that fragile. History is written in our buildings, landscapes, documents, objects, oral traditions, individual memories, and many other places, as well as in monuments in public spaces. To the contrary, left standing without appropriate context, these monuments promote a false and damaging narrative. When removed, these monuments can provide an even deeper understanding of history in other venues, such as museums, that can offer fuller and more inclusive context around the people, events, and ideologies that led to the monuments’ creation, and their relationship to present-day issues.
The Robert E. Lee Statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond has become a focal point of protests against racial injustice | (John McDonnell/The Washington Post, June 10, 2020)
Following the nationwide reckoning of racial justice and equity, some higher education institutions also took actions to cut ties with their racist legacies, such as reconsidering and removing the names of campus buildings and monuments that memorialized white supremacists. For example, the University of Virginia’s statue of Revolutionary War figure Roger Clark was removed from its campus. The University of California—Berkeley removed the names of two buildings, LeConte Hall and Barrows Hall, both are affiliated with figures who held deep racist views.
UW-Madison’s removal of the Chamberlin Rock is a part of this nation-wide movement to remove Confederate monuments and to build anti-racist campus among higher education institutions.