In 1920 in Alamance County, a Black man named John Jeffries was lynched by a mob after the alleged rape of a child. The mob of 25 people was led by none other than Elon College president William A. Harper. 

During his time as Elon's president, Harper helped to rebuild the college after the fire of 1924. For all the good that he did for the school, however, we cannot forget - this man lynched John Jeffries. Harper Hall, a residence hall in the Colonnades neighborhood, bears his name to this day. Almost no trace of his crime can be found online, only the positive things he did for the institution.

Elon claims to be a progressive and open-minded institution, yet the Harper name remains. How can we truly, fully support Elon's minority students while expecting them to sleep in a building named after a man who lynched? Sign the petition to let Elon University know that we have learned about William Harper's crime, and we do not feel comfortable continuing to allow his influence on our campus. His crimes heavily outweigh his positive influence to Elon. In order to become a truly inclusive campus, we must remove his name and bring attention to the murder of John Jeffries. 

Article: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23189183/jeffries-lynching/