Boston protesters gathered at Faneuil Hall on Wednesday to pressure officials to change the name of the city's beloved landmark, calling it a symbol of "white supremacy."
Faneuil Hall was named after Peter Faneuil, an 18th-century merchant who offered to build Boston a market building in 1740. The building, which was finished in 1742 and rebuilt in 1762, was a hotbed of revolutionary activity in colonial Massachusetts. Samuel Adams and James Otis were known to give speeches there to express grievances against Britain.
But activists object to the fact that as a merchant, Faneuil was heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade. Historical documents show that when Faneuil died, he owned five slaves, and once requested the purchase of an enslaved boy between the ages of 12 and 15.
"We should not have the name of a white supremacist attached to a publicly-owned building," said protestor Kevin Peterson. "That’s who he was. A white supremacist. A human trafficker."
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Several protestors chanted "Change the name, change the name," to the tune of the Destiny's Child song "Say My Name" as they walked to City Hall and stood silently during a meeting, before marching onward to Faneuil Hall.
Whether the city plans to rename the building remains to be seen. City council member Tania Fernandes Anderson put forward a resolution to remove "prominent anti-Black symbols in Boston," which passed unanimously in June. Fernandes Anderson has referenced Faneuil Hall's name as one of those symbols.
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"There is no reason why, in 2022, a famous tourist attraction and business center in the City of Boston should be named after someone who grew rich by buying and selling enslaved Africans, and even at the time of his death, still owned five human beings," the city council member said.
Former mayor Marty Walsh flatly denied any plans to rename the building in 2018. Mayor Michelle Wu's office did not reveal plans to change the name, but echoed the protestors concerns through a statement.
"As we work to build an equitable Boston for everyone, the city is committed to advancing racial justice and learning from our past and right wrongs," the statement read.
