In order to achieve racial justice, we must atone for past mistakes. In the early 19th century, Jesuit priest Fr. Peter Verhaegen S.J. was a slaveholder. Under Verhaegen's direction, slaves were put to work building Saint Louis University. 

While the University and the Jesuits have taken some steps to account for historical injustices, it is time for atonement. The removal of the racist "Where the Rivers Meet" statue in 2015 was the first step in what should be a continuous process of historical reconciliation. Another important step was the establishment of the Slavery, History, Memory and Reconciliation Project in 2016, a joint effort of SLU and the Society of Jesus USA Central and Southern Province. 

Renaming Verhaegen Hall will not correct historical injustices nor solve present issues of racial inequity, but it will demonstrate that SLU and the Jesuits understand how troubling it is that the name of a former slaveholder has such a prominent position on SLU's campus. Removing Verhaegen's name from this administration building is a fairly easy step to signal an attempt to reconcile with this troubling racist history.