Boston City Council Approves Resolution to Rename Faneuil Hall Due to Slavery Ties

Resolution to Rename Historical Boston Landmark Symbolic; Final Authority Rests with Public Facilities Commission Appointed by Mayor

The Boston City Council approved a resolution on Wednesday proposing the renaming of Faneuil Hall, a tourist destination with ties to slavery. The building is named after Peter Faneuil, a wealthy slave trader from the 1700s.
The resolution passed is symbolic and is not legally binding as the final authority to rename the city-owned buildings lies with the Public Facilities Commission, appointed by the Mayor Michelle Wu.
City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson of Roxbury introduced the resolution. She initially proposed to hold hearings on renaming the site but later asked councilors to vote directly on whether the building should be renamed.
The resolution's approval marks the progression of a citywide conversation about the role of symbols in representing the city's history. Mayor Wu stated the importance of this conversation, saying the city is ‘trying to ensure Boston tells the full, true, and sometimes painful history of where city has been over the course of nearly 400 years.'
Considering the new name for Faneuil Hall, some activists have suggested honoring Crispus Attucks, a Black man recognized as the first American killed in the Revolutionary War. Council's suggestion and public's decision on the new name would pave way for a more inclusive and correct historical context.