Harvard Law School will remove the family coat of arms of early donor and slaveholder Isaac Royall Jr. from its shield, university leaders announced March 14.
The decision comes after months of debate on campus, during which a cohort of students formed a group called “Royall Must Fall” to push for the removal of the crest, arguing that it is a symbol of oppression. The law school in November formed a 12-member committee of faculty, alumni and students to examine the matter, and earlier this month it recommended changing the crest, though that decision was not unanimous.
