Following criticism over the announcement to name an auditorium in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the billionaire has instead asked it be named after famed late Black author Toni Morrison.
Bezos asked the D.C. Public Library to change the namesake they are giving the auditorium after library trustees decided to name it after him in recognition of a $2.7 million donation he made to a childhood literacy program.
The donation was the largest the library had ever received, according to executive director Richard Reyes-Gavilan who recommended Bezos for the naming.
Bezos reportedly expressed his appreciation for the honor to the library's executive director Rob Hartman in an email last Thursday. However, he also shared that he would understand them choosing someone else to honor with the naming.
"As you know, I never sought naming rights associated with my gift to the library. When you subsequently informed me it was the largest gift in the library's history and offered to name the auditorium the Bezos Auditorium, I was honored and grateful," Bezos wrote in an email, The Washington Post reported.
"Since then, some in the community have suggested a person of color would be more appropriate as a name for the auditorium, especially as it sits inside the Martin Luther King Jr. library. That makes considerable sense to me."
Bezos then went on to recommend Morrison for the honor instead of himself. The billionaire shared that the two were friends, and he admired her greatly.
"One of my fondest memories is sitting on her porch for hours on a lazy, warm afternoon, eating lunch, sipping vodka, and exchanging stories. At that time, her health was already declining but her mind was as agile as ever, as was her sense of humor," Bezos continued.
"She was a remarkable woman and a legendary, groundbreaking author. I feel she would be a perfect namesake for the auditorium."
Arguments against the decision to name the auditorium after Bezos came almost immediately after the decision was made. The public library has received thousands of letters urging the board to change its mind, as well as comments from politicians, activists, and library users, NPR reported.
Now, Reyes-Gavilan shared in a statement they will reach out to Morrison's family about naming the auditorium after her.
"We are thrilled that Jeff Bezos has recommended that the MLK auditorium be named for Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison," Reyes-Gavilan said in a statement.
"We could not think of a better individual to be honored in our beautiful new building. We look forward to reaching out to the Morrison family for their support."
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