On December 19, 2019, the Public Improvement Commission unanimously approved changing the name of Dudley Square to Nubian Square in lieu of the cruel actions partaken in by Thomas Dudley, who, as governor, allowed for the passage of laws that permitted slavery, and to recognize and celebrate the fact that the square has long been home to a predominantly Black community.

While the name of the Square was changed, the name of the library remained as the Dudley Square Library, until it was renamed as the Roxbury Library. It has been observed that all Boston libraries are named after the square in which they are situated, with the exception of the Roxbury Library.

During a City Council hearing, community members passionately advocated for the proposed name change. Recognition of the support for said name change has been acknowledged far and wide within various sectors of both the library and the administration.

During this week’s Council meeting, the Council adopted a resolution, supporting the name change.