Non Incautus Futuri et Praeteriti

‘not unmindful of the future or the past’

WLAC initially formed out of an online discussion group from 2017, known as W&L Action, which began in the wake of the Charlottesville massacre. W&L Action turned to real-world organizing while the University’s Historical Commission met, and we emerged as WLAC with the shared belief that W&L needs to hear from progressive and liberal alumni now more than ever, especially those whose values are in opposition to the Generals Redoubt voices. As an organization, we are not satisfied with the University’s relationship to its past or its current “diversity and inclusion” efforts.

The Administration and Board of Trustees’ recent commitments to change do not fully address the problematic and injurious social environments on campus, nor do they accurately acknowledge how these cultural issues result from the University’s pernicious relationship to Lost Cause mythology. 

Our macro-goals: to drive positive cultural change, publicly acknowledge the continuation of oppressive practices on campus, and commit to implementing true inclusion on various fronts. 

WLAC Leadership and present members include alumni from a myriad of backgrounds and professions. We are: lawyers, human rights advocates, home-makers, professors, community organizers, doctors, social justice educators, admissions counselors, published authors, coaches, parents, public sector workers, high school teachers, labor advocates, epidemiologists, Broadway directors, environmental humanities scholars, healthcare lobbyists, global social innovators and scholarship program leaders.

Anyone interested in making W&L a more safe and inclusive place is encouraged to join.

We hold that an honest and transparent relationship to our institutional history is necessary to impact cultural change, and we would like to see the current Board and Administration commit to such a relationship. Our members largely believe social issues at W&L emerge from the school’s strong historical ties to Robert E. Lee and white supremacist culture. We want to see W&L’s campus become a safe and nurturing space for all students, regardless of their race, religion, economic background, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical ability.

WLAC’s primary strategy to implement change is based on building platforms of visibility for marginalized voices on campus. We will subsequently aid the many ongoing inclusivity efforts of progressive campus organizations and work to connect underserved students with supportive Alumni. We work as a facilitating organization that builds alliances between alumni, faculty, students and staff in order to create an environment that fully accommodates, welcomes and mobilizes a wide variety of repressed identities.