By Canadian Press

Student paper drops ‘McGill’ from name because university founder enslaved people

Apr 14, 2023 | 12:09 PM

MONTREAL — A student newspaper at McGill University has dropped “McGill” from its name because the school’s founder enslaved people.

Madison Edward-Wright, a managing editor of The Tribune, says the university should no longer use the name McGill either.

She says her publication rejects the legacy of James McGill and wants to create a welcoming atmosphere for Black, Indigenous and other racialized students. 

McGill University acknowledges on its website that its founder — a wealthy merchant from Scotland — owned at least five Black and Indigenous people, including two children who both died around the age of 10.

Edward-Wright says she doesn’t think a name change would erase the strong international reputation for research and higher education at McGill, which was founded in 1821.

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The university, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, removed a statue of McGill from its campus in 2021. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2013.

The Canadian Press