A resolution to rename Faneuil Hall — named after wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil who profited off slavery — was passed by city councilors Wednesday during a Boston City Council meeting.
Councilors Ricardo Arroyo, Liz Breadon, Gabriela Coletta, Sharon Durkan, Tania Fernandes Anderson, Kendra Lara, Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy and Brian Worrell voted in favor of the resolution. Councilors Frank Baker, Michael Flaherty and Council President Ed Flynn voted against.
Fernandes Anderson said during the meeting she proposed the resolution because the name negatively impacts the Boston African American community.
“Anti-Black symbols foster negative stereotypes and are a form of violence designed to humiliate, harm and demean Black people,” Fernandes Anderson said. “Anti-Black symbols reflect and remain hostile to the idea and ideal of achieving Black equality in Boston and achieving a true multiracial democracy in the City of Boston, across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in our nation.”
Peter Faneuil financed voyages to Africa and the Caribbean to “purchase hundreds of people,” and he enslaved five people for his personal home, according to the Boston Globe.
Fernandes Anderson suggested that Faneuil Hall be changed to a name honoring a “true freedom fighter,” like Crispus Attucks or Frederick Douglass, or possibly “Freedom Hall or Liberty Hall.”
Louijeune said important places like Faneuil Hall are symbols of Boston and it’s important that these symbols are representative of Boston as it is today.
“These symbols are powerful, it’s important for communities to feel like … they belong,” Louijeune said. “We achieve inclusivity when we affirm people’s dignity in how we name and how we don’t name things.”
Baker, one of the three council members who voted against the resolution, said changing the name of Faneuil Hall would not solve the problem.
“Part of the problem that we have with Faneuil Hall is that there’s nothing telling the story and changing the name, taking Peter Faneuil’s name off Faneuil Hall, will still not tell the story,” Baker said.
Fernandes Anderson responded to Baker’s concerns and said the story of Faneuil Hall will be told to future generations if the name is changed.
“Ten to 20 years from now, our kids will know that here was a person that used to be celebrated, but he was a savage, so we decided to not honor him by naming this place Faneuil Hall,” Fernandes Anderson said. “We decided to just tell the story about it.”
