The following email was sent on to Dean Teresa Eagle and President Gilbert of Marshall University.
Greetings Dean Eagle & President Gilbert,
My name is Hanna Kassis with RenameJohnMarshall.com. I wanted to touch base about our campaign to educate and bring awareness to John Marshall's dark history. Our fact-awareness strategies include targeted FB ad campaigns, in specific cities where we plan to raise awareness. To date, that has been limited to Cleveland and Chicago but we'd like to expand it nationally in the coming weeks.
Is Marshall University of Huntington, West Virginia or any of its board members aware of our campaign? If not, are you willing to communicate this to them?
Also, I am happy to introduce you to Professor Paul Finkelman as well, so you can learn more. Professor Finkelman is the lead scholar who, after much research, discovered the dark side of John Marshall's history. He said it's ok that I give you his email, should you ask for it.
Here are some articles on our progress
Cleveland 19 News - Cleveland State Considering Renaming Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Due to Racist Roots https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/09/25/cleveland-state-considering-renaming-cleveland-marshall-college-law-due-its-racist-roots/- Reason.com - Cancelling John Marshall: Two Law Schools Named After the Great Chief Justice Consider Dropping His Name https://reason.com/2020/09/27/cancelling-john-marshall-two-law-schools-named-after-the-great-chief-justice-consider-dropping-his-name/
- Law.com - Should Law Schools 'Cancel' SCOTUS Titan John Marshall? -https://www.law.com/2020/10/01/should-law-schools-cancel-scotus-titan-john-marshall/
Please note Rename John Marshall is not looking to disparage or tarnish John Marshall's name or Marshall University as an institution. Rather, we encourage you to open up a convo about whether our schools should be named after Marshall.
Our awareness campaign is simply saying, we're not so sure schools should be named after John Marshall. The names of our schools represent our ethos as a society. Is our ethos one of oppression, injustice and slavery? None of us think so, but unfortunately that was as much a part of Marshall's life as was his legal opinions (which, often if not all the time, were heavily biased by his slave dealings).
However we are encouraging the Marshall law schools to mandate more John Marshall readings. We do not believe a student of the law can reach their full potential as a lawyer, without a thorough, in-depth understanding of all the principles set forth by Marshall as our CJ. It would be unconscionable to even discuss removing him from legal jurisprudence. Yet by requesting mandated Marshall readings with law schools, we are guaranteeing we preserve his history.
On that point many say we are trying to erase history. This is simply not true and bogus. The act of renaming itself becomes history. And there will be a right side to that history, and a wrong side to that history. Which side are we on as a society?
We believe each institution should open up discourse about whether they should continue in the name of John Marshall. Get input from the community, put together committees or task forces, have conversations. Engage in discourse over whether this should be, or change. Let's look inward and be honest and truthful with ourselves and our peers, regardless of what they believe. That said, we genuinely and sincerely ask you...
What side of history will Marshall University be on?