Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Keathley University Center

The Keathley University Center was opened on (March 10, 1968 ?) with a 600 pound bronze plaque of the well-known Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest prominently displayed on its front wall. This was at a time when Forrest was the university mascot and his image was put on everything from coffee mugs to newspapers. Seven months later, Sylvester Brooks wrote an article called “Dixie: What Does It Mean?” calling out the hypocrisy of a university asking Black students to feel comfortable while parading Confederate symbols around. This led to the first of many waves of Black activism on campus. 21 years later, after demands from Black students and the collegiate chapter of NAACP, President Sam Ingram ordered the removal of the Forrest seal.