North Raleigh Today

William Peace University is keeping its name for now, but the statue of the man who the university is named after has been removed because of Peace’s connection to slavery and racism.

"We took on this step proactively, we really feel it's important for us to understand our past so we can move forward and be as inclusive a university as possible,” said Brian Ralph, university president, in an ABC 11 report.

The Board of Trustees approved the decision, citing the fact that Peace owned 51 slaves, according to the report. The statue was taken away Tuesday. A day of acknowledgement will take place Thursday.

"History is definitely a part that happened previously in our lives, and it's something we definitely learn from and not try and repeat it again,” said Taryn Shelton, a freshman at the university, in the report.

The university, in Raleigh, North Carolina, told the news station it was time to admit the mistakes of the past.

"Today, we are publicly acknowledging those findings,” the university said in a statement. “We are making this public acknowledgment because living our values today requires us to reckon with the hard truths of our past."

Peace’s ties to slavery came as little surprise to students.

"Truthfully, some students of color — mainly Black students — weren’t necessarily surprised about the information because the school is in the South," said Alyssa Crowder, a senior. "It was appreciated that they made the statement and opened the floor for students of color to express themselves. Removing the statue is greatly appreciated as well because they could've made the statement and left the statue.”

Ralph said the university, which contains a building that served as a Confederate hospital, plans to hold meetings about how the university can be more inclusive and welcoming, ABC 11 reported.