Boston Community Hearing On Renaming Faneuil Hall

Addressing what our public monuments and public buildings means to us in important. Symbols matter. Faneuil Hall, in Boston’s government center, is historic in many positive ways. It predates the founding of the nation and is widely recognized as the “cradle of liberty.” Yet, Faneuil Hall is named after a person who committed himself to the idea of white supremacy. Should Faneuil Hall, which is named after the slave owner and slave trader Peter Faneuil, retain its name? We say no. Our work on changing the name of Faneuil Hall is grounded in our corporate quest for racial repair. Our annual hunger fasting at Faneuil Hall is designed to educate the public that Peter Faneuil, as one of the city’s original founding fathers , was a profound racist who contributed nothing to the idea of democracy. Changing the name of Faneuil Hall stands as a pathway of addressing the wounds of race and slavery in the city, We claim that we must shake off our moral fogginess and address the issue of racial change for our collective and better future. Change the name!

To submit written testimony, send it via email to: AlanMTanner@gmail.com or the NewDemocracyCoalition@gmail.com. Include your name, organizational affiliation if any, and your contact information.