College removes ‘colony’ name from dorm over term’s loose connection to slavery

Clare College, a constituent institution of the University of Cambridge in England, recently renamed a campus dorm formerly known as “The Colony” because the term “colony” has a loose connection to slavery.

The decision aimed to permanently sever all ties with England’s former colonies and its history with slavery, according to campus officials.

The area of dorms had been called “The Colony” for decades, and it’s “where many second-year students live,” according to the school’s website.

But school leaders recently decided the title has “connotations which do not reflect the values of the college” and it had become “increasingly clear that the informal name for the site” was not appropriate, a spokesman told BBC, adding it’s been renamed “Castle Court.”