On Monday, the University of Virginia athletics director Carla Williams announced changes to two of the new logos that were unveiled back in April after the athletics department was made aware of a connection to slavery.
The new V-Sabre logo and the Cavalier Shield logo were changed to remove the curved grips on the handles of the sabres and are now straight-line handles. When the new logos were originally unveiled it was noted that “detail was added to the grip of the sabres that mimics the design of the serpentine walls found on Grounds.”
“After the release of our new logos on April 24th, I was made aware of the negative connotation between the serpentine walls and slavery,” Williams said. “I was not previously aware of the historical perspective indicating the original eight-foot-high walls were constructed to mask the institution of slavery and enslaved laborers from public view.
“Over the last few weeks, I have worked to better educate myself and that education will continue.
“There was no intent to cause harm, but we did, and for that, I apologize to those who bear the pain of slavery in our history. As such, we have redesigned the logos to remove that detail. All other aspects of the logos will remain the same.”
Originally built in the 1820s, the serpentine walls were removed to allow for more space behind the Pavilions. In the 1950s, the current walls were built with a wider berth and shorter than the original walls.