President Davis invites campus to Joseph Vaughn statue unveiling

President Davis sent the following message to campus on Monday, April 12.

Dear Furman Community,

It is my pleasure to invite students, faculty and staff to the unveiling of the statue of Joseph Vaughn, Furman’s first Black undergraduate student, this Friday at 1 p.m. at the Joseph Vaughn Plaza in front of the Duke Library.

The event will include remarks from members of Joe Vaughn’s family and our campus community, and will feature a percussion performance by the Greenville Baha’i Community Drummers.

We can gather in person because of your diligence in observing our COVID-19 protocols, but we will still need to be masked and maintain physical distancing. If you cannot join us in person, the event will be livestreamed. Visit this site for more information. In the case of inclement weather, we will hold the event in McAlister Auditorium.

We expect a small group of invited guests from off campus, including members of Vaughn’s family. Guests will be asked to follow all of our safety protocols and to have their temperatures checked before joining the event.

Joseph Vaughn’s statue is significant not only because it reminds us of the courageous act of one student, but also because of the message of diversity and inclusion it sends to everyone now and in the future. I hope you will join me Friday for this special occasion.

Warmly,

Elizabeth Davis
President