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University of Wisconsin removes rock seen as sign of racism

University of Wisconsin - Madison
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MADISON — The University of Wisconsin is removing a 70-ton boulder from its Madison campus at the request of minority students who view the rock as a symbol of racism.

Chamberlin Rock, on top of Observatory Hill, is named after Thomas Crowder Chamberlain, a geologist and former university president. Students of color on campus say the rock represents a history of discrimination.

It was referred to as a derogatory name in a Wisconsin State Journal story from the 1920s, at a time when the Ku Klux Klan was active on campus.

The boulder was being removed Friday morning.