BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — A symbol of hate and racial division is crumbling down at an HBCU in Northeast Baltimore after over 80 years of it strongly standing on campus.
The so-called "spite wall" at Morgan State University will be demolished and, according to members from the school, it is a significant marker of progress. The wall, which was constructed in the 1930s to separate the predominantly white neighborhood from the historically Black college, has been a symbol of racism for a long period of time.
In reporting from local CBS WJZ, David Wilson, President of Morgan State University made the following statement about the wall: "This wall occupies a central part of the history of Morgan State University in Morgan, moved to this site in 1917 and this whole community was all white. It became known as the hate wall, the spite wall because the neighbors who erected this wall to prevent Morgan students from literally walking across the street into the neighborhood and into the shopping center."
The wall's removal has been met with joy and enthusiasm from not just the university, but the community as well.
"It's really overwhelming to be honest. We are very excited. I've been here for 16 years, but I've heard plenty of residents who have talked about this wall being very restrictive and not inclusive of the community," Bridgette Neal, President of the Hillen Road Improvement Association, said in a WJZ report.
During this demolition process, the university have included residents in the redevelopment of the area, allowing feedback. As a part of that, the Morgan State has constructed academic facilities, a bookstore, and thriving shops.
"Hate, never ever wins, and Morgan State University is coming face-to-face with that, and we are preserving a certain part of that because we want to always be able to tell our story," President Wilson added, reflecting on the significance of the wall's removal.
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