Loyola University Maryland has said it will remove author Flannery O’Connor’s name from a residence hall because “some of her personal writings reflected a racist perspective.”
“The building names we use at Loyola should declare to our students—and entire community—what sort of values we esteem and hope to instill in our graduates,” said university president Fr. Brian Linnane, S.J. in a statement. “A residence hall must be a home and a haven for those who live there, and its name should reflect Loyola’s Jesuit values.”
The residence hall will be renamed for Sister Thea Bowman, an African American, who was a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
“An educator, speaker, and African American activist, Sister Thea inspired people to work to eliminate racism and work for justice and served as an important voice within the Catholic Church in the United States during the 20th century,” said Linnane. “She lived a life of great holiness, demonstrating deep compassion for the materially poor and those at the margins of society.”
