City Council Votes to Change Name of Faneuil Hall

This week, the City Council adopted a resolution to change the name of Faneuil Hall, thereby beginning a process of addressing anti-Black racist symbols prevalent in Boston.

Faneuil Hall represents the legacy and persona of Peter Faneuil, who was a white supremacist, a slave trader, and a slave owner.

According to a 2021 Mass Inc. poll, 51% of all Bostonians believe that the name of Faneuil Hall should be changed because of its deep and tragic association with the trans-Atlantic Slave trade.

According to the resolution, “Changing the name of Faneuil Hall to the name of a true freedom fighter, such as Crispus Attucks, Elizabeth Freeman, or Frederick Douglass, or to a noble concept, such as “Freedom Hall” or “Liberty Hall” facilitates the flourishing of democracy and educates the local and national public about how we should best use our public spaces and memorials.”

The resolution states that “changing the name of Faneuil Hall would not erase history but enhance our sense of history and place history in its proper perspective.”