Tulane University Removes ‘Victory Bell’ Upon Learning it Has Ties to Slavery

Tulane University said it’s removing a ‘Victory Bell’ from campus after learning it was used to direct the movement of enslaved Africans on a plantation, reported CNN.

University president Mike Fitts and board chairman Doug Hertz said last week in a letter to the Tulane community that the New Orleans university’s campus landmark would be moved to storage as officials investigate its exact origins.

“As an academic institution, we believe it is important to find a way to use this bell to further our knowledge and understanding of slavery and pursue a more just society,” the letter reads.

The letter also says the bell, which was made in 1825, came to Tulane between 1960 and 1961. It has been used for decades to celebrate victories of the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. It has also been a campus tradition for new students to touch the bell for good luck during convocation.