Louisiana State University's campus library is named after Troy Middleton, a former university president who was against the desegregation and actively worked to segregate students whenever possible. Middleton boasted that LSU's dormitories were still segregated. He also stated that if a Black person were to try to go to LSU's swimming pool, LSU would discontinue the operation of the pool. Additionally, if a Black person were to try to join an athletic team, Middleton would find a good excuse for them to not participate. If this isn't enough evidence to convince you that Middleton was against LSU's desegregation here is a direct quote: "To be specific — L.S.U. does not favor whites and Negroes participating together on athletic teams.”

     This blatantly racist man should not be given the honor of one of LSU's most popular buildings being named after him. the honor should instead go to Pinkie Gordon Lane, the first Black person* to earn a Ph.D. just 5 years after Middleton's retirement from a still very racially divided LSU. Lane was also the first Black person to be appointed Louisiana State Poet Laureate. She wrote 5 poetry books and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Lane represents the accomplishments of Black students that faced racism and discrimination every day to earn their degrees. While LSU's efforts towards racial equality have greatly improved, there is still quite a ways to go, especially when Black students are still having to enter buildings every day that are named after the very people who were against them.

*We have recently been informed that Pinkie Gordon Lane is not the first Black person to receive a Ph.D. from LSU, but she is the first Black woman. We believed she was the first Black person based on a list from LSU's African American Cultural Center. However, we still believe that Pinkie Gordon Lane is still very deserving of the building being named after her.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/article_cb7d7d4a-9dac-11e9-b9ee-7fc2f02ed855.html

https://www.lsureveille.com/legacy/whats-in-a-name/article_67af3f9e-3eda-11e6-a6f8-17b1fcd5f820.html

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100050484