University of Wisconsin Removes "Racist" Rock
The Claim
The University of Wisconsin removed a rock that many found to be racist.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users are reporting that a rock believed to be racist has been removed from the University of Wisconsin campus. One post had over 1500 likes.
Misbar’s Analysis
We discovered that the rock being discussed on social media was located on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wisconsin. The rock was known as the Chamberlin Rock and had been in place since 1925, according to the University of Wisconsin. It was named after Thomas Chamberlin, a geologist and former university president who served from 1887 to 1892. In 1925, an article was published in the Wisconsin State Journal that used a derogatory racial term to describe the rock:
An early publication from the U.S. Geological Survey indicates that term used to be applied to a certain family of black rocks.
According to CNN.com, last summer the Wisconsin Black Student Union called for the rock to be removed from campus as one of a series of demands it said were aimed at seeking justice for Black students. On August 6, 2021, the rock was removed at an approximate cost of $50,000.
