Did I just miss it? I just have no words. Post racial society, people. Move along, nothing to see here. I feel sick.
Duke officials said Wednesday that they are trying to find out who hung a noose outside a building that houses several offices, including those focused on diversity.
Officials say the rope tied into a noose was found about 2 a.m. in the Bryan Center plaza. The center is home to offices including the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity and the Center for Multicultural Affairs.
Larry Moneta, Duke's vice president for student affairs, said in an email to students that anyone found responsible for "committing this act of intimidation" will be held accountable.
"To whomever committed this hateful and stupid act, I just want to say that if your intent was to create fear, it will have the opposite effect," Moneta wrote in the email. "Today, fear will be among the reactions students, and especially, students of color, will have. Be assured that the Duke community will provide all the support necessary to help us all get through this."
School President Richard Brodhead and Provost Sally Kornbluth later sent a joint email to students, saying the Duke campus "has been jolted over the past few weeks by several racial incidents, including a report of hateful speech directed at students on East Campus" and the discovery of the noose.
School officials also are investigating that previous incident, in which a student reported hearing racist speech the early morning of March 22.
Both Duke administrators and police are investigating, school spokesman Keith Lawrence said. Duke police referred all questions to the school's communications office.
University and student leaders have scheduled a forum for Wednesday evening on the steps of Duke Chapel. Speakers will include Brodhead and Kornbluth.
In addition, first-year students are invited to an event Wednesday evening called "Chalk the Walk," where they can fill a traffic circle with supportive messages, Duke officials said. And members of the Black Student Alliance and others marched Wednesday afternoon in response to the noose, chanting, "We are not afraid. We stand together," the school said.
Duke has about 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It costs about $60,000 a year to attend as an undergraduate, including room and board, according to the school's website. About half of all undergraduate students receive financial aid.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
Post by secretlyevil on Apr 1, 2015 17:52:53 GMT -5
I have a theory. My theory is that a lot of this is "copycat" to get media attention. However, I know this is naive. The world is really this despicable.
Post by penguingrrl on Apr 1, 2015 17:57:01 GMT -5
What is wrong with this country? Why does it feel like every goddamned day we see further evidence of backsliding? How do people grow up in this day and age thinking racism is okay?
We had this happen at my school, except they left it in the library.
It happened at my 1st grad school, around the Obama election. I don't think the school even officially acknowledged it as a problem. They said it was a free speech issue
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
We had this happen at my school, except they left it in the library.
It happened at my 1st grad school, around the Obama election. I don't think the school even officially acknowledged it as a problem. They said it was a free speech issue
Ours was in the middle of the 'Compton cookout' fiasco. So there were a lot of other things going on, plus the noose maker wasn't white, and it kind of got blown over. At least they banned the racist 'satire' newspaper from student tv after they ran a super racist television spot.
What is wrong with this country? Why does it feel like every goddamned day we see further evidence of backsliding? How do people grow up in this day and age thinking racism is okay?
Honestly, the old adage is true, " the more things chane, the more things stay the same."
People are afraid of chane, and act out when faced with it.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley