A renewed campus argument has emerged at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, as a student calls for the removal of a Confederate-linked memorial plaque attached to a Civil War cannon on campus. The debate highlights ongoing tensions over how institutions handle historical symbols tied to America’s past.
A history major and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper penned an op-ed arguing that the plaque, installed in 1950 to honor alumni who fought on both sides of the Civil War, should be removed because it honors individuals who fought against the United States. The student, Savannah Brooks, wrote that the timing of the plaque’s installation—long after the Civil War—makes it inappropriate, noting that the U.S. does not traditionally memorialize those who attempted to destroy the country.
Brooks also stressed that Trinity has changed since the plaque was placed, with a diverse student body including Black students, faculty, and staff whose ancestors may have been impacted by slavery. She wrote that discomfort about campus symbols matters and poses questions about how prospective students and donors might feel walking past the memorial.
Rather than destroying the plaque, Brooks proposed relocating it to the college’s research library, where it could be studied, and adding explanatory historical signage. She argued that removal with thoughtful explanation would preserve context without glorifying the Confederacy.
College officials confirmed that Trinity has policies for reviewing commemorative changes and that community members can file petitions, but as of now no official petition to remove the plaque has been submitted.
Not all voices on campus support removal. Historian Mary Grabar argued that students are still learning history and should not lead efforts to eliminate historical markers. Grabar said removing such symbols teaches that monuments are ideological tools rather than educational artifacts, warning that taking them down acts as censorship and oppression. She dismissed contextual additions like explanatory plaques, saying symbolism stands alone.
The Trinity controversy reflects a broader national trend on college campuses and beyond, where Confederate memorials and other historical markers are being reevaluated, removed, or relocated following pressure from activists and students who view them as inappropriate or offensive in modern contexts.
