The message "Black Lives Matter" that was painted on the James B. Duke statue in front of the Chapel ahead of Friday's community forum at noon was removed sometime during the forum, which lasted until approximately 1:30 p.m.
President Richard Brodhead, Provost Sally Kornbluth and Valerie Ashby, dean of the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, led the forum at Page Auditorium, which came on the heels of Thursday's gathering in support of protestors at the University of Missouri. Many have raised concerns about the handling of recent incidents on campus, including the defacement of a Black Lives Matter flyer and a death threat including a homophobic slur targeting a freshman.
In April, a sign with the message "Duke stands on the backs of black and brown labor" was placed on the same statue before eventually being removed.
Update: This story was updated at approximately 1:40 p.m. to note that the message was removed.
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