Protests began in response to black students saying that they have been victims of racial harassment at the majority-white university. The student government president, who is black, said in September that people in a passing pickup truck hurled racial slurs at him. In October, members of a black student organization said that a drunken white student shouted racial slurs at them. More recently, a swastika drawn in human feces was found in a student dorm.
“The way white students are treated is in stark contrast to the way black students and other marginalized students are treated, and it’s time to stop that,” student Abigail Hollis said. “It’s 2015.”
Here’s what the students had to say:
The largest state university and its administration has shown a lack of willingness to acknowledge the negligence and overall violence shown to black students. This is a pattern they’ve demonstrated both in the last year and historically.
Our goal is to gain inclusive policies for marginalized students as well as an overall shift toward a safer and more inclusive campus environment. The new diversity requirement being put forth by the Chancellor is not sufficient enough for true campus wide change and administration has taken credit for the idea when it’s actually been in talks for years.
Bottom line, we need proof from our administrators that comprehensive diversity training will be required of all students, faculty, and staff. Comprehensive diversity training will include all aspects of diversity and it will not be online. We demonstrated during Saturday’s parade, directly in front of Tim Wolfe, for these reasons. #1839BuiltOnMyBlack
Full story at RT.com