ITHACA, N.Y. – When horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey named Cornell Plantations in 1944, “he purposely chose to dismiss old associations with slavery in favor of the proper meaning of the word, plantations: ‘areas under cultivation’ or ‘newly established settlements,” according to a 2011 issue of Verdant Views, “The Magazine of Cornell Plantations.”

Essentially, Bailey wanted to rise above racism and turn “plantation” into something beautiful.

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But Cornell University’s Black Students United last November demanded a name change in a letter of grievances to university officials because of the word’s connection to America’s history of slavery.

Last week, university officials announced the BSU will get its way, and the school will rename the 3,500 acre natural area Cornell Botanic Gardens, though they blamed the change on plant biodiversity rather than political pressure, the Cornell Sun reports.

Christopher Dunn, who became the Cornell Plantations director, said he has pursued a name change since he came to the university in 2014. The Cornell Plantations logo – which features “an idyllic scene of marsh reeds flowing into a meadow and anchored by a majestic oak along with the words “botanical gardens – arboretum – natural areas” – just doesn’t fit, he said.

“If you have a name and logo that you then need to define in print, it’s a lost opportunity to do something better,” he said. “The name Plantations requires constant explanation, and just doesn’t fit a botanic garden and the scale of the work we do.”

Dunn said that over the last two years university leadership has explored the possibility of a name change in consultation with the Cornell Plantations Advisory Council, students, faculty, donors and alumni.

“What he found reinforced his original impression that, as a name, Cornell Plantations did a poor job connecting what it does with the communities it serves,” according to the Cornell website. “From an agricultural perspective, Plantations is a misnomer. A plantation in that context is a large expanse of a single crop grown for agricultural production. Cornell Plantations, by comparison, celebrates a diverse collection of flowers, herbs and trees.”

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“A botanic garden is all about showcasing the rich diversity of the plant kingdom. How can you have a plantation that is a botanic garden? It’s a non sequitur,” Dunn said.

But the Cornell Sun points out that the move also came amid political pressure from black students who feel the university campus is “not conducive to the overall success of students of color.”

In a letter of grievances to administrators in November, the Black Students United specifically demanded a name change for Cornell Plantations “as soon as possible.”

According to the Sun:

Renee Alexander ’74 associate dean and director of intercultural programs, student and academic services and advisor to BSU called Dunn a “change agent” and praised his collaborative work with members of the Cornell community in pursuing a change at the plantations.

“He identified key stakeholders, started a listening tour, asked critical questions and methodically began to put a plan together,” she said. “For all the right reasons  — and there are a number of them — we will move forward with a  rebranding campaign that positions Cornell as a progressive and thoughtful institution that is sensitive to all constituents’ needs.”

Administrators contend that about three-quarters of students, staff and faculty who participated in a survey in January support the name change, which will be presented to the Building and Properties Committee of the Board of Trustees for approval in September with the hope of finalizing the switch by October.

“Dunn said that he communicated with parties including Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life; Renee Alexander, associate dean, student and campus life and Black Students United in working to amend the Plantation’s title. However, the University’s release only briefly mentions the “emotional response” of some students to the name of the plantations, which some say conjures images of slave and share cropping economies,” the Sun reports.

The name change, of course, prompted mixed reactions from folks online.

“As long as people can still trip and enjoy the trees I don’t care what it’s called,” unconcernedalum69 posted to the Sun comments.

“You mean it’s NOT a slaveholding operation? I had no idea – THANK YOU for changing the name and making that clear to me. (Ridiculous – just ridiculous),” 1978 alum George Lutz wrote.

“A monstrous betrayal of generations of Cornell alumni attached to the Cornell Plantations. And for what? To appease a handful of crybabies who can’t read a history book or a map, given that they can’t tell the difference between the Cornell Plantations and an agricultural model practiced 150 years ago a thousand miles south of Ithaca,” DeSean Smith wrote.

“This university administration needs to start standing for something other than appeasement, retreat, and milquetoast nonsense. Can everyone just grow up now? The world doesn’t pander, and Cornell shouldn’t either.”