Tulane University has removed the "Victory Bell" from its pedestal on campus after learning it was originally used to direct the movement of slaves on a plantation, The Times-Picayune reported. In a letter announcing the decision, President Mike Fitts and Board Chairman Doug Hertz said, "It is terribly disheartening to learn that it is, in fact, a vestige of a horrific part of our nation's past. Now that we understand its history as an instrument of slavery, continuing to use this bell in a celebratory manner would run counter to our values."

For decades, the bell was rung after Tulane victories in basketball.