WACO, Texas — In the past, Baylor University students have voiced their concerns regarding the statue of founder Judge R.E.B. Baylor on campus. Knowing Baylor owned slaves, the students have called for the statue to be removed.  

In June, the Commission on Historic Campus Representations was established as part of a resolution on racial healing and justice, acknowledging the university’s historical connections to both slavery and the Confederacy. The commission recently released this report.

While there are no plans to remove the Judge R.E.B. Baylor statue, there are changes to come. Baylor NAACP President Lexy Bogney believes the university is taking what seems to be a first step in the right direction. Although Bogney's time at Baylor University is coming to an end, she is not graduating without leaving her mark.

"Basically my freshman year I started getting involved with as many orgs [organizations] as possible," said Bogney. "I joined Baylor's Black Student Union and I joined Baylor's chapter of the NAACP. I also joined a performance arts group called Portraits and worked with students in the Waco area."

Last year, the senior corporate communication major accepted an invitation to join Baylor's Commission on Historic Campus Representations, with the goal of communicating the complete history of the university and evaluating its statues, monuments, and more.

"I knew that I had some opinions about certain things on campus, and if I wanted them to change it was going to be important to make sure that my voice was heard," said Bogney.

Hearing Baylor’s founders and early leaders were slaveholders, and several continued to justify and support slavery even after the Civil War were key historical facts that did not surprise Bogney.

She took time out of her school day to show Spectrum News 1 Texas some of the areas they discussed during their evaluation.

"Being a Black student on campus and knowing that we're kind of infiltrating a space that wasn't meant for us," said Bogney. "And I hope by sitting on the commission and kind of helping with making some of these recommendations, it helps Black students and other students of color feel more comfortable and empowered on campus."

Among recommendations from the report, the commission says the university should rename Burleson Quadrangle to a more inclusive name, and the monument to Rufus Burleson should be relocated.

However, the institution will keep the name Baylor University and the statue of Judge Baylor will stay at its current location.

"Where Burleson Quadrangle is, we know his name but we don't really know what he did. As far as Judge Baylor, we know about his history with slavery, some of the things he said. Burleson was not a great man,” said Bogney.

Baylor also announced plans to set up statues in honor of the university's first Black graduates, Rev. Robert Gilbert, B.A. ’67, and Mrs. Barbara Walker, B.A. ’67.

"Makes me feel very empowered because I know that students are going to be seeing these statues every day," said Bogney. "I hope moving forward that, you know, Baylor takes time to address more of its history."

The Board of the Regents accepted the commission's final report in February. The next step is for the university's administration to develop an action plan regarding the recommendations.