U. of Oklahoma Removes Tribute to Retired Faculty Because It ‘Exclusively Includes White Male Faces’

The University of Oklahoma recently removed a tribute wall that was dedicated to retired faculty in the political science department over concerns that it was not sufficiently diverse. According to an open letter,  the tribute was removed because it “exclusively includes white male faces.”

According to a report by Campus Reform, the University of Oklahoma announced this week that it will be removing a tribute wall that was dedicated to retired members of the political science department. The decision came as part of a larger push to implement changes designed to enhance diversity and inclusion within the department.

In an open letter published recently, the department announced that it would remove the tribute to retired faculty members because it exclusively featured “white male faces.” The university claims that the tribute wall will be preserved if adequate funding is secured.

We will transform the entryway to our department on the second floor of Dale Hall Tower. One of the walls of this entry includes the images of retired members of our department, a set that exclusively includes white male faces. This will be replaced with a space in which our current students can express themselves and represent their own voices. When funding permits, the historical pictures will be moved to a setting more appropriate for the protection and expression of this history. The second phase of this plan (the permanent removal and movement of the photos) will likely require the cooperation of the college and central administration.

The tribute wall will be replaced with a display where students will be able to express their political perspectives on certain issues. It is not clear at this point of the university will limit the range of perspectives that students will be permitted to share on the wall.

Breitbart News reported in February that a professor at the University of Oklahoma has allegedly claimed that the popular phrase “okay, Boomer” is akin to a racial slur.