Capilouto announces relocation of Memorial Hall mural

Memorial+Hall+on+Monday%2C+April+6%2C+2020%2C+at+the+University+of+Kentucky+in+Lexington%2C+Kentucky.+Photo+by+Jordan+Prather+%7C+Staff

Memorial Hall on Monday, April 6, 2020, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo by Jordan Prather | Staff

Alexis Baker, Reporter

UK president Eli Capilouto released an email on Tuesday, Nov. 22, that serves as a reflection on the recent racism on campus and what the university plans to do moving forward.

The campus-wide email said, “Even with the progress that has been made, our community’s show of solidarity and calls for change reinforce how much more needs to be done.”

Capilouto said the efforts will be conducted by Vice President for Institutional Diversity Dr. Katrice Albert. The goal of the program is to promote diversity, equity and inclusion .

The email provided updates about how the university is working to bring equity to campus.

“Our Board of Trustees has authorized the university to move forward with millions of dollars in modernization projects in the core of our campus,” Capilouto said.

One project that falls under this program is the transformation of a mural in Memorial Hall, depicting an image of slavery. With the approved budget from the board, Capilouto said “removal and relocation” of the mural will take place.

Another change on campus in an attempt to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion is more mental health support and a restored emphasis on UK’s diversity, equity and inclusion officers.

UK will be hiring more on-campus clinicians with backgrounds and identities more relatable to the student population through a partnership with Talkspace, a virtual therapy service.

Diversity, equity and inclusion officers can be found at every college on campus. Capilouto said he has been working to regulate their job descriptions to make them more beneficial at UK. His goal is to make these officers easily accessible in their respective colleges.

“(They) advance conversations, outcomes-based strategies and discipline-focused initiatives about diversity, equity, and inclusion.,” Capilouto said.