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University of Missouri at Columbia officials have asked Black students to change the name of a long-standing start-of-term tradition to be less explicitly race-based, according to an Instagram post from the Legion of Black Collegians (LBC).
The event, a cookout held annually by the student government group, has historically been known as the Welcome Black BBQ. But this year, the event will be held under a different title—the Welcome Black and Gold BBQ, in honor of Mizzou’s colors.
Leaders of the LBC said they are “heartbroken.”
“The legion spent several months fighting this decision and finding a way to preserve the original title and message,” the post read. “When presented with the idea, we initially wanted to keep the original name or have no event at all. However … we did not want to override the hard work our government and other Black student leaders put into this, nor face consequences that could lead to massive losses for our government so early in the year.”
The decision comes shortly after the state flagship announced it would dissolve its Division for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in an effort to appease the deep-red state’s conservative lawmakers and avoid future budget cuts.
Christopher Ave, the university's director of news and information, said in an email to Inside Higher Ed that the name change was made to foster inclusivity.
“We must not exclude (or give impressions that we are excluding) individuals with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives,” Ave wrote. “The name of this university-sponsored event was modified in collaboration with event organizers to reflect that our campus is open and welcoming to all.”
This is not the first time the legion has voiced frustration about the university’s handling of the event.
LBC leaders still “strongly encourage” fellow students and faculty members to attend, insisting in the Instagram post that the event's activities will not change.
“We are looking for avenues to NEVER allow this to happen again,” they wrote. “If it does, rest assured the Legion will have nothing to do with it.”
