Thursday, Feb. 15, researchers at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation announced that they had confirmed the original location of the Bray School, an 18th-century institution that once educated free and enslaved Black children, some of whom were owned by the College of William and Mary. The building, located at 524 Prince George St., currently houses the […]

From Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, 2,584 students at the College of William and Mary voted in a Student Assembly referendum that sought to estimate campus support for renaming buildings and spaces commemorating slaveowners, Confederate sympathizers and other public figures with documented legacies of racism.In the days before the College’s Board of Visitors’ February session, […]

At the Feb. 23 meeting of the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly, SA President Anthony Joseph ‘21 addressed the recent controversy within the student meme group “Swampy Memes for Twampy Teens” regarding SA’s Naming and Renaming Referendum. After a post in the group criticized Joseph’s use of the phrase “virtue signal” in a […]

“In general, their existence appears to participate more of sensation than reflection…I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind.” – Thomas Jefferson, “Notes on the State of […]

There has been plenty of discourse in the sports media world about teams following proper COVID-19 restrictions before starting a season. Limiting fans, playing in a bubble and restricting interactions with other teams all seemed necessary for any sports to resume play back in early 2020.  However, this January, the NHL suspended from play four Russian […]

The publishing philosophy of the Flat Hat Opinions section February 2021The goal of The Flat Hat’s Opinions section is to promote meaningful, productive dialogue between different members of the College of William and Mary community. We seek to highlight diverse experiences, ideological perspectives, and beliefs about topics ranging from everything from breakfast sandwiches at Marketplace […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, Pete Snyder ’94 saw small businesses struggling to stay afloat. Using his background in business, he started the Virginia 30 Day Fund, aimed at providing short-term, forgivable loans to small businesses throughout the commonwealth. But as the pandemic raged on, the scope of the project grew, and […]

During a pandemic that has often been politicized, the nation’s public health officials have struggled to disseminate facts regarding COVID-19 amidst the multitude of fictions. One of those officials — White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci — has become a household name over the past year. His message is consistent: listen to the […]

Bryana Moyler ’23 is the founder and owner of Beauty by Bri, a hair salon operating between Williamsburg and Norfolk, Virginia.  “Basically, you look good, you feel good,” Moyler said.  Moyler runs her creative side-hustle while simultaneously attending kinesiology classes and juggling college life.   She began styling Black women’s hair during her senior year of high […]