FARGO (KFGO) – A descendant of 19th century geologist Louis Agassiz says she could support the removal of Agassiz’s name from various landmarks, including prehistoric Lake Agassiz, if that’s what the community desires.
Marian Moore of Minneapolis is the great-great-great granddaughter of Agassiz. Moore tells KFGO News that if people want to get rid of Agassiz’s name because of his racist beliefs, it’s okay with her.
“If the community feels that is important to advance the emerging recognition that these things perpetuate a division and perpetuate a white supremacist’s thought, that would be fine with me” Moore said.
“It’s more important to me that these ideas that he advanced are shown to be wrong and also to have contributed to where we are today and the inequity and stupidity of the separation of races. If I have to let go of my own sort of specialness, that’s part of the work. That’s part of what needs to happen.”
The Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments is changing the name of the Agassiz Greenway because Louis Agassiz “was a proponent of scientific racism” and wrote prolifically on issues of white supremacy.
Agassiz’s name has been removed from landmarks across the country. The name is still on the building of Fargo’s Woodrow Wilson High School and the former Agassiz Middle School.
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