The Jane and Walter O. Briggs Building at the University of Detroit Mercy carries the name of an entrepreneur and co-owner of the Detroit Tigers, whose legacy includes racism and discrimination.

Walter O. Briggs enforced segregation at Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium), restricted Black fans to “Jim Crow” sections, and refused to sign Black players to the Detroit Tigers baseball team. His name does not reflect the values of our University or CHASS (College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences), our students and faculty, or the communities we serve. A brief description of Walter O. Briggs, “Wendell Smith, a black athlete and sportswriter, called Briggs "very prejudiced. He’s the major league combination of Simon Legree and Adolf Hitler." Smith was no doubt exaggerating. But the Tigers were indeed the next to last team in the major leagues to integrate (in 1958)—and only did so after Briggs had died.” (quote from the article titled, “What Segregation Did to the Detroit Tigers” by Dr. Burton W. Folsom). 

Students, faculty, staff members, and community leaders have raised concerns about the naming of the Briggs Building for years, and while there have been informal efforts to rename it, no concrete action has been taken. CHASS students continue to learn in a space that is named after someone whose legacy contradicts the University’s commitments to justice, and we want to change that by renaming the Briggs Building. 

Per the University’s Land Acknowledgment: “University of Detroit Mercy operates on the land known as Waawiiyaatanong. As a community, we recognize that this is the ancestral land of the Three Fires Confederacy, the Ojibwa, Odawa and Potawatomi as well as the land of the Wyandot nation. We acknowledge that this land was colonized via the Treaty of Detroit in 1807. Taking from our roots as a Mercy and Jesuit university, we are committed to justice and reconciliation for our Native neighbors. The purpose of this statement of acknowledgment is to remind us to continue to be mindful and respectful of the history of this land. This statement serves as both a reminder and a call to action to promote practices and policies that bring about equity and advancement for all people on our campus, in our community and in the world.”. 

Given the land that UDM occupies, we propose renaming the building to the Debwewin Building. Debwewin (pronounced duh-bway-win) is an Anishinaabemowin word meaning truth and speaking from the heart. Choosing this name honors the land on which UDM rests and aligns the building with values rooted in truth, rather than in discrimination and racism.

This petition seeks to remove the Walter O. Briggs name and replace it with one that reflects the land’s history, the University’s commitments, and our values as a community. Please sign our petition and share it with three friends to help us move closer to our goal and reach more people!

Once we have a large number of signatures, our goal is to form a committee with Indigenous leaders and groups, University administration and faculty, and campus leaders to discuss how to approach the process of renaming the Briggs Building.

For questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Amelia Abar (abaram@udmercy.edu).

Sources:

What Segregation Did to the Detroit Tigers - https://www.mackinac.org/V1997-10 

Briggs Name (UDM) - https://www.udmercy.edu/about/its/classrooms/briggs/ 

Debwewin Definition - https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/debwewin-ni

African American Heritage (Detroit Tigers) - https://www.mlb.com/tigers/community/african-american-heritage

Metro Detroit Times - https://www.metrotimes.com/news/56-years-ago-detroit-tigers-integrated-2200655/