UNC Building Renaming Efforts Stall After 2021 Recommendation

No buildings have been renamed despite commission's proposal to remove names of Confederate supporters

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Almost five years after the University of North Carolina's Commission on History, Race and a Way Forward recommended removing the names of 10 campus buildings named after slaveowners and Confederate supporters, no changes have been made. The commission, formed in 2019, made its recommendation to former Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz in April 2021, but the UNC Board of Trustees has not acted on it. While the commission hosted community events until 2025, its website shows no public meetings since 2024, and current and former members declined to comment. UNC says the commission is still making recommendations, but the renaming process is governed by the Board of Trustees.

Why it matters

The lack of progress on building name changes highlights the challenges universities face in reckoning with their histories of racism and white supremacy. Student activists have long pushed for UNC to remove the names of those who promoted racist ideals, but the slow pace of change reflects the political and institutional barriers to such efforts.

The details

In 2021, the UNC Commission on History, Race and a Way Forward recommended removing the names of 10 campus buildings named after slaveowners and Confederate supporters. However, the UNC Board of Trustees has not acted on this recommendation. The commission was formed in 2019, a year before a 16-year moratorium on name changes was lifted. While the commission hosted events until 2025, its website shows no public meetings since 2024, and current and former members declined to comment. UNC says the commission is still making recommendations, but the renaming process is governed by the Board of Trustees, which previously removed three names in 2020 after a proposal from the commission.

  • The UNC Commission on History, Race and a Way Forward was formed in 2019.
  • The commission made its recommendation to remove 10 building names in April 2021.
  • The UNC Board of Trustees removed three names in 2020 after a proposal from the commission.
  • The commission hosted community events until early 2025, but its website shows no public meetings since 2024.

The players

UNC Commission on History, Race and a Way Forward

A commission formed in 2019 to reconsider the names on UNC campus buildings, composed of UNC faculty, students, and community members.

Kevin Guskiewicz

Former Chancellor of the University of North Carolina.

UNC Board of Trustees

The governing body of the University of North Carolina that has authority over building name changes.

Ralph Meekins

A UNC trustee who voted in favor of removing three building names in 2020.

Samuel Scarborough

Co-chair of the Political Action Committee for the Black Student Movement at UNC.

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What they’re saying

“We felt that when you consider what some of those persons had done and we considered the message it could carry about to continue to honor them, the board voted to take their names down.”

— Ralph Meekins, UNC Trustee (The Daily Tar Heel)

“We're not, you know, surprised that the University has been dragging its feet to both change the name of the buildings as well as make meaningful strides to repair. Because we understand that the University as it currently stands and has always standed, in many ways, as an adversary to the advancement of Black people.”

— Samuel Scarborough, Co-chair of the Political Action Committee for the Black Student Movement at UNC (The Daily Tar Heel)

What’s next

The UNC Board of Trustees will need to formally consider and vote on any proposals to remove or rename campus buildings, a process that has moved slowly despite student activism and the commission's recommendations.

The takeaway

The lack of progress on renaming UNC buildings named after Confederate supporters and slaveowners reflects the ongoing challenges universities face in reckoning with their histories of racism and white supremacy, even as student activists continue to push for meaningful change.