Following 'Silent Sam', some say it's time to remove Carr name from UNC, Duke campus

Opponents of the "Silent Sam" statue on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus have long said they believe the statue stood for white supremacy, which was evidenced in its 1913 dedication speech.

The speech was given by Julian Carr, a white supremacist who has buildings named after him at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, along with the town of Carrboro.

Carr was a major donor to UNC, Duke and Carrboro, but many say it is time to see his name go.

"I know that he comes from a slave-owning family. He fought for the Confederacy, in his words, to defend his right to own slaves and inherit slaves from his father," said UNC-Chapel Hill History Professor William Sturkey.

UNC Archives show he was a UNC student and fought for the Confederacy before owning a tobacco empire in Durham.

He gave the dedication speech when Silent Sam was installed 1913. He talked about "horse-whipping a negro wench," calling it a "pleasing duty."

"He openly promoted the Ku Klux Klan, not just when Silent Sam was dedicated, but on numerous occasions," Sturkey said. "He later belonged to the KKK himself."

Last month, the Duke History Department requested the university rename the Carr Building, which Duke officials said they will consider.

Some called on Carrboro to rename the town, but they were told that would be too expensive and confusing. Instead, town leaders will put a plaque outside Town Hall to acknowledge Carr’s racist views.

The Carr Building at UNC-Chapel Hill has not yet been the subject of recent protests. In 2015, the Board of Trustees put a 16-year moratorium on renaming buildings right after it changed the name of Saunders Hall, which was named for a KKK leader, to Carolina Hall.