Milner Hall renamed Freedom Hall

Occasionally, the unshakable sense of social justice and the spirit of activism that characterises The UWI takes an introspective turn. This happened when The UWI commissioned an investigation on the life and philosophies of Lord Alfred Milner, after whom Milner Hall at the St. Augustine Campus, had been named.

Residents of the newly renamed Freedom Hall were happy to be part of the name-change process and pleased with the outcome. They are flanked by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles (left) and Professor Brian Copeland, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the St. Augustine Campus (right).

The investigation revealed a litany of egregious crimes against humanity perpetrated, endorsed, and encouraged by the early 20th century British colonial governor in South Africa.

The hall of residence took Milner's name in 1927 when he contributed to the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture established in Trinidad, to train white colonialists with a view to creating a pool of frontier farmers to settle on lands in the Empire taken from natives.

Upon discovery of this connection, an active campaign to change the name of the hall was launched to purge the popular residence of this dark legacy. It was with great triumph and a sense of reasserting the dignity of the countless individuals stripped of such by the actions and policies of Lord Milner, that the St. Augustine hall was renamed Freedom Hall in October 2017.