Black Students Lead Protests at Princeton
November 19, 2015 12:00 AM
Student protesters filled Princeton’s historic Nassau Hall Wednesday afternoon, sitting in the university president’s office and refusing to leave until their demands to improve the social and academic experiences of black students on campus are met — starting with an acknowledgement of famous alumnus Woodrow Wilson’s “racist legacy” and the removal of his name from all buildings.
The protest came on the same day university officials announced that the leaders of the residential colleges would change their traditional names from “master” to “head of the college.”
The Black Justice League demanded that the name of Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, a segregationist who some believe supported the ideas of the Ku Klux Klan, be removed from a residential college and from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs, and that his mural be scrubbed from the dining hall.
Princeton protesters occupy president’s office, demand ‘racist’ Woodrow Wilson’s name be removed
By Susan Svrluga
November 18 at 3:57 PM
Student protesters filled Princeton’s historic Nassau Hall Wednesday afternoon, sitting in the university president’s office and refusing to leave until their demands to improve the social and academic experiences of black students on campus are met — starting with an acknowledgement of famous alumnus Woodrow Wilson’s “racist legacy” and the removal of his name from all buildings.
At a time when protests over race are spreading across the country, gaining heat at many campuses — forcing administrators to step down, buildings to be renamed and course-offerings to be changed — the sit-in at one of the world’s most prestigious universities was another sign of the movement’s impact.
But it’s a movement that has also generated opposition — as at Dartmouth, where some students reported being frightened by protesters screaming and swearing at them about being racists last week, at Yale where a debate about free speech clashed with demands from students angry about the racial climate on campus, at Claremont McKenna College where some students said protests turned hostile, and in a few places such as the University of Missouri and Howard, with racist death threats.
But it’s a movement that continues to gain strength and lead to changes.
At Princeton, the protest came on the same day university officials announced that the leaders of the residential colleges would change their traditional names, effective immediately, from “master” to “head of the college.”
Protesters at Yale have demanded a similar change, concerned that the term “master” has ugly connotations associated with slavery.
“The former ‘masters’ of our six residential colleges have long been in conversation with the Office of the Dean of the College about their anachronistic, historically vexed titles,” Dean of the College Jill Dolan said in a statement. “We believe that calling them ‘head of the college’ better captures the spirit of their work and their contributions to campus residential life.”
“Though we are aware that the term ‘master’ has a long history of use in universities (indeed since medieval times), it seems to me by now to be anachronistic and unfortunate for the positions we hold,” Sandra Bermann, head of Whitman College, said in a statement. “We are glad to take on the designation as ‘head of the college’ that describes our role more aptly.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Princeton’s Black Justice League pushed harder.
The group demanded that the name of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, a segregationist who some believe supported the ideas of the Ku Klux Klan, be removed from a residential college, from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs, and any other buildings — and that his mural be scrubbed from the dining hall.
It demanded “cultural competency training” for all faculty and staff, including discussion of “the true role of freedom of speech and freedom of intellectual thought in a way that does not reinforce anti-Blackness and xenophobia.”
The organizers demanded that classes on “marginalized peoples” be added to the university’s required courses. “Learning about marginalized groups, their cultures, and structures of privilege is just as important as any science or quantitative reasoning course,” the group wrote in its demands.
And it demanded a space for black students on campus. The document ends with a request that President Christopher Eisgruber sign it.
Wilglory Tanjong, one of the student organizers with the Black Justice League on campus, said they began with a demonstration in front of the hall and are now holding a sit-in “indefinitely.”
Earlier this fall, Tanjong wrote a piece for the Daily Princetonian, “On the Legacy of Woodrow Wilson, a Racist Bigot.”
Tanjong wrote of her efforts to convince administrators that they should not honor Wilson. “I was told that Princeton honors Woodrow Wilson because of the contributions he made to higher education, America and the world. I was also reminded that Wilson did more to improve Princeton than anyone else…” There was no disagreement that Wilson was racist, Tanjong wrote, but rather that the same could be said for many of the country’s historic leaders.
Tanjong argued that the university must “acknowledge that our past was white-centered, white-focused and plagued with white supremacist ideology. That Princeton was built for wealthy, white, cisgender, Christian males. That everyone who does not fit that definition was not meant to be here. That our campus culture still tells people who don’t align with that demographic that they still are not meant to be here.”
On Wednesday afternoon, speaking by phone from the president’s office, Tanjong said the protesters had had a heated discussion with Eisgruber. According to Tanjong, the president had agreed that black students should have their own space on campus, but did not agree to their other two demands. She said he objected to the idea of renaming the buildings because all people are flawed, and the university honored Wilson for the good he had done for the university. She said he didn’t want to force staff to undergo training; he thought they could choose to have it but it should not be required.
Martin A. Mbugua, a spokesperson for Princeton, wrote in an e-mail, “President Christopher L. Eisgruber and Jill Dolan, Dean of the College, spent about an hour speaking with a group of students in the president’s office. We expect the conversation to continue beyond today’s meeting.”
Mbugua confirmed that the president supported the idea of a cultural space for black students, did not agree to the idea of mandating a ‘cultural competency’ course, and did not agree to remove the Wilson name from buildings. In the latter case, Eisgruber “was expressing what he believes, not a decision. The conversation about that will continue.”
Tanjong said the protest will continue. “The university locked the doors to Nassau Hall earlier today, so we are concerned that once we leave, we will not be able to re-enter in the morning. Thus, we are not planning to leave.”
Princeton Students Attack Institutional Racism
By WILLS ROBINSON
DAILYMAIL.COM
18 November 2015
Princeton University has become the latest school to be embroiled in a race scandal with 30 student's staging a sit-in inside their president's office.
The Black Justice League (BJL) have told President Christopher L. Eisgruber they won't leave until Woodrow Wilson's name is removed from a college and international affairs school, and a mural to him in a dining hall is demolished.
The group believe the former President, who led the formation of the League of Nations and helped all women get the vote, was a 'proud Clansman' who has a 'racist legacy'.
They also want a 'cultural space' only black students can use and believe staff should go through 'cultural competency training'.
In addition, demonstrators insisted mandatory classes on the 'history of marginalized peoples' should be held in a bid to create a better student environment for minority students.
But Eisgruber has not signed the document, insisting he cannot put the demands in place on his own.
Princeton is now one of 23 schools across the country where students are staging protests and demanding action from senior officials because they believe they have been subjected to racism and harassment.
LIST OF DEMANDS FROM PRINCETON'S BLACK JUSTICE LEAGUE
'WE DEMAND the university administration publicly acknowledge the racist legacy of Woodrow Wilson.' Specifically, the BJL asks the University to rename the Woodrow Wilson School, rename Wilson college, and remove the Wilson mural from Wilcox dining hall.
'WE DEMAND cultural competency training for all staff and faculty.' The letter states that this request was previously voted down on free speech grounds, and requests classes on the history of marginalized peoples be added to the list of distribution requirements.
'WE DEMAND a cultural space on campus dedicated specifically to Black students, and that space can be within the Carl A. Fields Center but should be clearly marked.' The BJL stipulates that the naming of the space be left to student discretion so as to avoid naming it after a 'white benefactor or person with bigoted beliefs, as evidenced by the naming of Stanhope Hall.
'These are demands from Black students at Princeton, who, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, are "sick and tired of being sick and tired".
'While we are graetful for the collaboration we have had with faculty and administrators in the past, we make these demands during this unique time to expedite these processes.
'So that we can ensure that these demands will be met, we will request that President Eisgruber sign this document.'
The BJL announced through Facebook that they wanted 'to confront and challenge institutional racism and systemic inequality' in a bid to improve 'student experience'.
However, according to student newspaper The Tab, some students condemned the move as their demands 'didn't make any sense'.
One person on messaging service Yik Yak read: 'The demands don't make any sense. They care more about the attention than getting anything accomplished.'
Another stated, 'It's ridiculous to change WWS' name. We should understand that it is possible to honor a man's contribution without subscribing to his principles.'
Others also said the demonstration showed 'disrespect to such a respectful administration' and the protesters looked 'petty'.
An anonymous student wrote: 'We stand with Eisgruber. Stay strong buddy.'
According to The Tab, those in Eisgruber's office chanted: 'Who built this place? We built it'.
Another said: 'We owe white people nothing. If not for the evilness and white hatred, we would not have to be fighting for our rights in this country.'
Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton from 1902 to 1910. He then served as New Jersey's governor from 1911 to 1913, when he entered the White House. The Democrat was a leading progressive but supported segregation.
His second term as Commander-in-chief was dominated by America's entrance into World War One and his Fourteen Points - a document outlining the principles of piece that led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the League of Nations.
His 'Wilsonian' doctrine aimed at promoting democracy around the world. In 1920, he ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, giving every woman the right to vote.
In the federal Civil Service, Wilson endorsed racial segregation, granting department heads greater autonomy in their management.
The cabinet in the White House under Wilson was forced re-segregate restrooms and cafeterias in their buildings.
A picture of a placard designed by the BJL claim that Wilson was a 'proud Klansman' and attended a special screening of Birth of the Nation - a film praising the Ku Klux Klan and portraying black as uncivilized - at the White House.
He did watch the film, but later is believed to have said that the movie was 'an unfortunate production'.
'I agree with you that Woodrow Wilson was a racist. I think we need to acknowledge that as a community and be honest about that,' Eisgruber told the students, according to a video posted to YouTube.
According to historian Arthur Link, during his tenure he discouraged blacks from applying for admission, preferring to keep the peace among white students and alumni.
He suffered a backlash after abolishing the upper-class elitist lunch clubs that were popular on campus.
In his book: History of the American people, Wilson wrote that the Ku Klux Klan during the late 1860s was a 'lawless reaction to a lawless period.
He said that the Klan 'began to attempt by intimidation what they were not allowed to attempt by the ballot or by any ordered course of public action'.
Critics and historians have also criticized his view on slavery.
Some say Wilson believed that slavery was wrong on economic labor grounds, rather than for moral reasons.
They also argue that he idealized the slavery system in the South, viewing masters as patient with 'indolent', or lazy, slaves.
'We're here. We've been here. We ain't leaving. We are loved,' students chanted into megaphones outside of Nassau Hall.
They also stated: 'We want to make this as awkward as possible for him.'
As they waited for him, they blasted out Kendrick Lamar songs through a megaphone.
Eisgruber then entered and told the group: 'I appreciate where those demands are coming from. I agree with you, Woodrow Wilson was a racist... In some people, you have good in great measure and evil in great measure.'
He was joined by Dean Dolan, who said on marginalized people could be added to the curriculum, but it would take time.
LIST OF COLLEGES GIVEN DEMANDS BY THEIR STUDENTS OVER 'RACIST ISSUES' ON CAMPUS
University of Missouri
Amherst College
Atlanta University Center Consortium
Boston College
Brown University
Emory University
Guilford College
Ithaca College
Occidental College
Princeton University
Purdue University
St. Louis University
University of California, Berkeley
UCLA
University of Cincinnati
University of Kansas
University of Michigan
University of South Carolina
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Commonwealth U.
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale University
Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton from 1902 to 1910. He then served as New Jersey's governor from 1911 to 1913, when he entered the White House. The Democrat was a leading progressive but supported segregation.
His second term as Commander-in-chief was dominated by America's entrance into World War One and his Fourteen Points - a document that led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the League of Nations.
A picture of a placard designed by the BJL claim that Wilson was a 'proud Klansman' and attended a special screening of Birth of the Nation - a film praising the Ku Klux Klan and portraying black as uncivilized - at the White House.
However he later is believed to have said that the movie was 'an unfortunate production'.
'I agree with you that Woodrow Wilson was a racist. I think we need to acknowledge that as a community and be honest about that,' Eisgruber told the students, according to a video posted to YouTube.
According to historian Arthur Link, during his tenure he discouraged blacks from applying for admission, preferring to keep the peace among white students and alumni.
He suffered a backlash after abolishing the upper-class elitist lunch clubs that were popular on campus.
In book History of the American people, Wilson wrote that the Ku Klux Klan during the late 1860s as a lawless reaction to a lawless period.
He said that the Klan 'began to attempt by intimidation what they were not allowed to attempt by the ballot or by any ordered course of public action'.
Critics and historians have also criticized his view on slavery.
Some say Wilson believed that slavery was wrong on economic labor grounds, rather than for moral reasons.
They also argue that he idealized the slavery system in the South, viewing masters as patient with 'indolent', or lazy, slaves.
The cabinet in the White House under Wilson re-segregated restrooms and cafeterias in their buildings.
Wilson College, one of the campus elements students want the Wilson name removed from, was Princeton's first of six residential colleges and is home to about 500 students.
The six colleges are the center of Princeton life and consist of multiple dormitory buildings, common areas, dining rooms, and they offer an array of academic and social programs and intramural activities.
Each college has a faculty head, dean, director of studies and director of student life and every student is assigned to one.
According to their website it is known affectionately as 'The College of Destiny' by its residents.
A history reads: 'Modern Wilson College has maintained a tradition of student governance and promotion of diversity; it is a tradition that inspired the creation of an expanded residential system which now includes six colleges and serves undergraduates from all four class years.'
Around 500 freshman and sophomores live there.
In 1930, the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs was opened.
Their website's description reads: 'The School's initial venture was an interdisciplinary program for undergraduates in Princeton's liberal arts college.
'In 1948, a graduate professional program was added, and the School was renamed to honor Woodrow Wilson, who served as the 13th president of Princeton University, governor of New Jersey and 28th president of the United States.
'The phrase 'Princeton in the Nation's Service' was the theme of two speeches Wilson gave at the University, first during its 150th anniversary celebration in 1896 and again at his inauguration as the University's president in 1902.
'In the 1990s, the motto was expanded by then-President Harold T. Shapiro to read 'Princeton in the Nation's Service and in the Service of All Nations.'
'It is a concept that Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson School regard as an educational mission.'
Princeton spokesman Martin Mbugua said Eisgruber and Dean of College Jill Dolan spent about an hour talking with the students and 'expect the conversation to continue beyond today's meeting.'
On Wednesday that Princeton announced it was ending the 'master' title for leaders of the residential colleges. Princeton says the faculty members will now be known as 'head of the college.'
Dolan, who oversees the residential colleges, said groups across campus are having discussions about Wilson's place at the school.
It's a 'conversation people are having all over the campus, in part because it's part of the national conversation. There are no easy answers here,' she said. 'It's a conversation we all need to have about the implications of history.'
Dolan said faculty members have been discussing removing the 'master' title for years for the job of running the six residential colleges where students live on campus.
'Many of us who would never have been part of the Princeton experience ... often feel our own exclusion,' Dolan said. 'Faculty and administrators prioritize inclusion and belonging, (from the) iconography of campus, to curriculum ... in terms of making sure we represent the diversity of human experience.'
In August, a professor at Yale University cited the racial overtones of the word in asking students to stop calling him 'master.'
Student protesters filled Princeton’s historic Nassau Hall Wednesday afternoon, sitting in the university president’s office and refusing to leave until their demands to improve the social and academic experiences of black students on campus are met — starting with an acknowledgement of famous alumnus Woodrow Wilson’s “racist legacy” and the removal of his name from all buildings.
The protest came on the same day university officials announced that the leaders of the residential colleges would change their traditional names from “master” to “head of the college.”
The Black Justice League demanded that the name of Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, a segregationist who some believe supported the ideas of the Ku Klux Klan, be removed from a residential college and from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs, and that his mural be scrubbed from the dining hall.
Princeton protesters occupy president’s office, demand ‘racist’ Woodrow Wilson’s name be removed
By Susan Svrluga
November 18 at 3:57 PM
Student protesters filled Princeton’s historic Nassau Hall Wednesday afternoon, sitting in the university president’s office and refusing to leave until their demands to improve the social and academic experiences of black students on campus are met — starting with an acknowledgement of famous alumnus Woodrow Wilson’s “racist legacy” and the removal of his name from all buildings.
At a time when protests over race are spreading across the country, gaining heat at many campuses — forcing administrators to step down, buildings to be renamed and course-offerings to be changed — the sit-in at one of the world’s most prestigious universities was another sign of the movement’s impact.
But it’s a movement that has also generated opposition — as at Dartmouth, where some students reported being frightened by protesters screaming and swearing at them about being racists last week, at Yale where a debate about free speech clashed with demands from students angry about the racial climate on campus, at Claremont McKenna College where some students said protests turned hostile, and in a few places such as the University of Missouri and Howard, with racist death threats.
But it’s a movement that continues to gain strength and lead to changes.
At Princeton, the protest came on the same day university officials announced that the leaders of the residential colleges would change their traditional names, effective immediately, from “master” to “head of the college.”
Protesters at Yale have demanded a similar change, concerned that the term “master” has ugly connotations associated with slavery.
“The former ‘masters’ of our six residential colleges have long been in conversation with the Office of the Dean of the College about their anachronistic, historically vexed titles,” Dean of the College Jill Dolan said in a statement. “We believe that calling them ‘head of the college’ better captures the spirit of their work and their contributions to campus residential life.”
“Though we are aware that the term ‘master’ has a long history of use in universities (indeed since medieval times), it seems to me by now to be anachronistic and unfortunate for the positions we hold,” Sandra Bermann, head of Whitman College, said in a statement. “We are glad to take on the designation as ‘head of the college’ that describes our role more aptly.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Princeton’s Black Justice League pushed harder.
The group demanded that the name of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, a segregationist who some believe supported the ideas of the Ku Klux Klan, be removed from a residential college, from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy and International Affairs, and any other buildings — and that his mural be scrubbed from the dining hall.
It demanded “cultural competency training” for all faculty and staff, including discussion of “the true role of freedom of speech and freedom of intellectual thought in a way that does not reinforce anti-Blackness and xenophobia.”
The organizers demanded that classes on “marginalized peoples” be added to the university’s required courses. “Learning about marginalized groups, their cultures, and structures of privilege is just as important as any science or quantitative reasoning course,” the group wrote in its demands.
And it demanded a space for black students on campus. The document ends with a request that President Christopher Eisgruber sign it.
Wilglory Tanjong, one of the student organizers with the Black Justice League on campus, said they began with a demonstration in front of the hall and are now holding a sit-in “indefinitely.”
Earlier this fall, Tanjong wrote a piece for the Daily Princetonian, “On the Legacy of Woodrow Wilson, a Racist Bigot.”
Tanjong wrote of her efforts to convince administrators that they should not honor Wilson. “I was told that Princeton honors Woodrow Wilson because of the contributions he made to higher education, America and the world. I was also reminded that Wilson did more to improve Princeton than anyone else…” There was no disagreement that Wilson was racist, Tanjong wrote, but rather that the same could be said for many of the country’s historic leaders.
Tanjong argued that the university must “acknowledge that our past was white-centered, white-focused and plagued with white supremacist ideology. That Princeton was built for wealthy, white, cisgender, Christian males. That everyone who does not fit that definition was not meant to be here. That our campus culture still tells people who don’t align with that demographic that they still are not meant to be here.”
On Wednesday afternoon, speaking by phone from the president’s office, Tanjong said the protesters had had a heated discussion with Eisgruber. According to Tanjong, the president had agreed that black students should have their own space on campus, but did not agree to their other two demands. She said he objected to the idea of renaming the buildings because all people are flawed, and the university honored Wilson for the good he had done for the university. She said he didn’t want to force staff to undergo training; he thought they could choose to have it but it should not be required.
Martin A. Mbugua, a spokesperson for Princeton, wrote in an e-mail, “President Christopher L. Eisgruber and Jill Dolan, Dean of the College, spent about an hour speaking with a group of students in the president’s office. We expect the conversation to continue beyond today’s meeting.”
Mbugua confirmed that the president supported the idea of a cultural space for black students, did not agree to the idea of mandating a ‘cultural competency’ course, and did not agree to remove the Wilson name from buildings. In the latter case, Eisgruber “was expressing what he believes, not a decision. The conversation about that will continue.”
Tanjong said the protest will continue. “The university locked the doors to Nassau Hall earlier today, so we are concerned that once we leave, we will not be able to re-enter in the morning. Thus, we are not planning to leave.”
Princeton Students Attack Institutional Racism
By WILLS ROBINSON
DAILYMAIL.COM
18 November 2015
Princeton University has become the latest school to be embroiled in a race scandal with 30 student's staging a sit-in inside their president's office.
The Black Justice League (BJL) have told President Christopher L. Eisgruber they won't leave until Woodrow Wilson's name is removed from a college and international affairs school, and a mural to him in a dining hall is demolished.
The group believe the former President, who led the formation of the League of Nations and helped all women get the vote, was a 'proud Clansman' who has a 'racist legacy'.
They also want a 'cultural space' only black students can use and believe staff should go through 'cultural competency training'.
In addition, demonstrators insisted mandatory classes on the 'history of marginalized peoples' should be held in a bid to create a better student environment for minority students.
But Eisgruber has not signed the document, insisting he cannot put the demands in place on his own.
Princeton is now one of 23 schools across the country where students are staging protests and demanding action from senior officials because they believe they have been subjected to racism and harassment.
LIST OF DEMANDS FROM PRINCETON'S BLACK JUSTICE LEAGUE
'WE DEMAND the university administration publicly acknowledge the racist legacy of Woodrow Wilson.' Specifically, the BJL asks the University to rename the Woodrow Wilson School, rename Wilson college, and remove the Wilson mural from Wilcox dining hall.
'WE DEMAND cultural competency training for all staff and faculty.' The letter states that this request was previously voted down on free speech grounds, and requests classes on the history of marginalized peoples be added to the list of distribution requirements.
'WE DEMAND a cultural space on campus dedicated specifically to Black students, and that space can be within the Carl A. Fields Center but should be clearly marked.' The BJL stipulates that the naming of the space be left to student discretion so as to avoid naming it after a 'white benefactor or person with bigoted beliefs, as evidenced by the naming of Stanhope Hall.
'These are demands from Black students at Princeton, who, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, are "sick and tired of being sick and tired".
'While we are graetful for the collaboration we have had with faculty and administrators in the past, we make these demands during this unique time to expedite these processes.
'So that we can ensure that these demands will be met, we will request that President Eisgruber sign this document.'
The BJL announced through Facebook that they wanted 'to confront and challenge institutional racism and systemic inequality' in a bid to improve 'student experience'.
However, according to student newspaper The Tab, some students condemned the move as their demands 'didn't make any sense'.
One person on messaging service Yik Yak read: 'The demands don't make any sense. They care more about the attention than getting anything accomplished.'
Another stated, 'It's ridiculous to change WWS' name. We should understand that it is possible to honor a man's contribution without subscribing to his principles.'
Others also said the demonstration showed 'disrespect to such a respectful administration' and the protesters looked 'petty'.
An anonymous student wrote: 'We stand with Eisgruber. Stay strong buddy.'
According to The Tab, those in Eisgruber's office chanted: 'Who built this place? We built it'.
Another said: 'We owe white people nothing. If not for the evilness and white hatred, we would not have to be fighting for our rights in this country.'
Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton from 1902 to 1910. He then served as New Jersey's governor from 1911 to 1913, when he entered the White House. The Democrat was a leading progressive but supported segregation.
His second term as Commander-in-chief was dominated by America's entrance into World War One and his Fourteen Points - a document outlining the principles of piece that led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the League of Nations.
His 'Wilsonian' doctrine aimed at promoting democracy around the world. In 1920, he ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, giving every woman the right to vote.
In the federal Civil Service, Wilson endorsed racial segregation, granting department heads greater autonomy in their management.
The cabinet in the White House under Wilson was forced re-segregate restrooms and cafeterias in their buildings.
A picture of a placard designed by the BJL claim that Wilson was a 'proud Klansman' and attended a special screening of Birth of the Nation - a film praising the Ku Klux Klan and portraying black as uncivilized - at the White House.
He did watch the film, but later is believed to have said that the movie was 'an unfortunate production'.
'I agree with you that Woodrow Wilson was a racist. I think we need to acknowledge that as a community and be honest about that,' Eisgruber told the students, according to a video posted to YouTube.
According to historian Arthur Link, during his tenure he discouraged blacks from applying for admission, preferring to keep the peace among white students and alumni.
He suffered a backlash after abolishing the upper-class elitist lunch clubs that were popular on campus.
In his book: History of the American people, Wilson wrote that the Ku Klux Klan during the late 1860s was a 'lawless reaction to a lawless period.
He said that the Klan 'began to attempt by intimidation what they were not allowed to attempt by the ballot or by any ordered course of public action'.
Critics and historians have also criticized his view on slavery.
Some say Wilson believed that slavery was wrong on economic labor grounds, rather than for moral reasons.
They also argue that he idealized the slavery system in the South, viewing masters as patient with 'indolent', or lazy, slaves.
'We're here. We've been here. We ain't leaving. We are loved,' students chanted into megaphones outside of Nassau Hall.
They also stated: 'We want to make this as awkward as possible for him.'
As they waited for him, they blasted out Kendrick Lamar songs through a megaphone.
Eisgruber then entered and told the group: 'I appreciate where those demands are coming from. I agree with you, Woodrow Wilson was a racist... In some people, you have good in great measure and evil in great measure.'
He was joined by Dean Dolan, who said on marginalized people could be added to the curriculum, but it would take time.
LIST OF COLLEGES GIVEN DEMANDS BY THEIR STUDENTS OVER 'RACIST ISSUES' ON CAMPUS
University of Missouri
Amherst College
Atlanta University Center Consortium
Boston College
Brown University
Emory University
Guilford College
Ithaca College
Occidental College
Princeton University
Purdue University
St. Louis University
University of California, Berkeley
UCLA
University of Cincinnati
University of Kansas
University of Michigan
University of South Carolina
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Commonwealth U.
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale University
Woodrow Wilson was president of Princeton from 1902 to 1910. He then served as New Jersey's governor from 1911 to 1913, when he entered the White House. The Democrat was a leading progressive but supported segregation.
His second term as Commander-in-chief was dominated by America's entrance into World War One and his Fourteen Points - a document that led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of the League of Nations.
A picture of a placard designed by the BJL claim that Wilson was a 'proud Klansman' and attended a special screening of Birth of the Nation - a film praising the Ku Klux Klan and portraying black as uncivilized - at the White House.
However he later is believed to have said that the movie was 'an unfortunate production'.
'I agree with you that Woodrow Wilson was a racist. I think we need to acknowledge that as a community and be honest about that,' Eisgruber told the students, according to a video posted to YouTube.
According to historian Arthur Link, during his tenure he discouraged blacks from applying for admission, preferring to keep the peace among white students and alumni.
He suffered a backlash after abolishing the upper-class elitist lunch clubs that were popular on campus.
In book History of the American people, Wilson wrote that the Ku Klux Klan during the late 1860s as a lawless reaction to a lawless period.
He said that the Klan 'began to attempt by intimidation what they were not allowed to attempt by the ballot or by any ordered course of public action'.
Critics and historians have also criticized his view on slavery.
Some say Wilson believed that slavery was wrong on economic labor grounds, rather than for moral reasons.
They also argue that he idealized the slavery system in the South, viewing masters as patient with 'indolent', or lazy, slaves.
The cabinet in the White House under Wilson re-segregated restrooms and cafeterias in their buildings.
Wilson College, one of the campus elements students want the Wilson name removed from, was Princeton's first of six residential colleges and is home to about 500 students.
The six colleges are the center of Princeton life and consist of multiple dormitory buildings, common areas, dining rooms, and they offer an array of academic and social programs and intramural activities.
Each college has a faculty head, dean, director of studies and director of student life and every student is assigned to one.
According to their website it is known affectionately as 'The College of Destiny' by its residents.
A history reads: 'Modern Wilson College has maintained a tradition of student governance and promotion of diversity; it is a tradition that inspired the creation of an expanded residential system which now includes six colleges and serves undergraduates from all four class years.'
Around 500 freshman and sophomores live there.
In 1930, the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs was opened.
Their website's description reads: 'The School's initial venture was an interdisciplinary program for undergraduates in Princeton's liberal arts college.
'In 1948, a graduate professional program was added, and the School was renamed to honor Woodrow Wilson, who served as the 13th president of Princeton University, governor of New Jersey and 28th president of the United States.
'The phrase 'Princeton in the Nation's Service' was the theme of two speeches Wilson gave at the University, first during its 150th anniversary celebration in 1896 and again at his inauguration as the University's president in 1902.
'In the 1990s, the motto was expanded by then-President Harold T. Shapiro to read 'Princeton in the Nation's Service and in the Service of All Nations.'
'It is a concept that Princeton and the Woodrow Wilson School regard as an educational mission.'
Princeton spokesman Martin Mbugua said Eisgruber and Dean of College Jill Dolan spent about an hour talking with the students and 'expect the conversation to continue beyond today's meeting.'
On Wednesday that Princeton announced it was ending the 'master' title for leaders of the residential colleges. Princeton says the faculty members will now be known as 'head of the college.'
Dolan, who oversees the residential colleges, said groups across campus are having discussions about Wilson's place at the school.
It's a 'conversation people are having all over the campus, in part because it's part of the national conversation. There are no easy answers here,' she said. 'It's a conversation we all need to have about the implications of history.'
Dolan said faculty members have been discussing removing the 'master' title for years for the job of running the six residential colleges where students live on campus.
'Many of us who would never have been part of the Princeton experience ... often feel our own exclusion,' Dolan said. 'Faculty and administrators prioritize inclusion and belonging, (from the) iconography of campus, to curriculum ... in terms of making sure we represent the diversity of human experience.'
In August, a professor at Yale University cited the racial overtones of the word in asking students to stop calling him 'master.'
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