Cheyenne Overall

In the spring of 2017, law school Dean Erwin Chemerinsky said it was brought to his attention that John Boalt — after whom the building wing is named because of a donation from his wife, Elizabeth Boalt — was a leading advocate of the Chinese exclusion policy. In his text “The Chinese Question,” John Boalt presented negative views about Black people, Native Americans and Chinese people, according to a document released Monday by Chemerinsky.

Hannah Rose, assistant manager and director of community programs at Elmwood Cafe, said in an email that she was unable to confirm the reason for Elmwood Cafe’s closure but said the cafe is “closed for good.”

At a time when the removal of controversial monuments from public places has made national headlines, UC Berkeley finds itself revisiting concerns surrounding the names of several contentious buildings on campus.