College Racism Roundup
Racist incidents at colleges have been posted about all over the blogosphere and a few blogs, especially Racialicious, Resist Racism and Rachel’s Tavern, have really been on the ball recording them, but I thought it might be interesting to have them all in one place. Please let me know if I’ve missed any.
EDIT: Many thanks to Racialicious readers for filling in a ton of gaps I had here.
NOTE: This page is pretty much continually being added to (sadly). If I’ve missed a blog entry or an event, please let me know in the comments. At this point, I am only posting links from 2000 or later, and only from the U.S.; there’s just too much stuff to post everything since the dawn of the U.S. university or in other countries. If someone wants to collect links for their own country or do a more historical roundup, I’d definitely link it, though.
New Links (All of the new links are from NOVEMBER, 2007)
- Nooses found on [CSU Fullerton] campus prompt outcry (Los Angeles Times)
- Noose found in Purdue library (BoilerStation.com)
- Students criticize SUNY Geneseo’s reaction to blackface Halloween costumes (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)
- Apologies, protest mark more blackface fallout (The Lamron)
- White supremacy alive and well in Geneseo (The Lamron)
- Halloween Costumes draw racism charge (The Lamron)
- Race controversies at OSU after noose in tree (KGW.com)
- Stunts at OSU strike a nerve of bigotry (The Oregonian)
- Noose + History = Racism (Eric Stoller’s blog)
- Hamline blackface costumes prompt investigation (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
- Michigan “Stormfront” Members Attended Nick Griffin Speech at MSU (Media Mouse)
- Swastika Painted on Columbia Professor’s Door (New York Times) [Note: Less than a month after a noose was hanging from a black professor's door. Serial racist door defiler?]
- White Yalies in blackface reveal racism on campus (Yale Daily News)
General Links
- Colleges See Flare In Racial Incidents (The Washington Post)
- Black stereotype parties spark outrage (MSNBC)
- NAACP condemns recent acts of racism on collegiate campuses (EURweb.com)
- College students host racist parties (Maine Campus)
- Study: Racist Language Common Among White College Students (Racialicious)
- Racism on College Campuses – is this becoming a trend? (BlogHer)
- “Ghetto Fabulous” parties (XXL)
- College Hate & Where We Go From Here (Racewire)
- College makes you SMRT (Eileen T.)
Delta Zeta
- Sorority Evictions Raise Question of Looks and Bias (New York Times)
- Are you skinny or white enough for this sorority? (Salon.com)
- Too Fat, Too Dark, and Too Smart? (Rachel’s Tavern)
- Heroines of the Week; or, Sisterhood is Powerful (Bitch Ph.D.)
- After Evicting Members, Sorority Itself is Evicted (New York Times)
California State University at Fullerton
- Nooses found on campus prompt outcry (Los Angeles Times)
Central Connecticut State University
- Central Connecticut State University Student Paper Prints Cartoon About Urinating and Holding Captive a 14 Year Old Latina (Rachel’s Tavern)
- Take Back the Recorder [NOTE: This is an entire blog documenting action against and responses to CCSU Recorder's racist cartoon.]
- The CCSU Recorder (PDF of current issue; the cartoon in question is on pg. 16)
Clemson University
- Blacks mimicked; race relations questioned (The Independent Mail)
- Students apologize for party criticized as racist (CNN)
- Clemson University students also throw “gangsta party” on MLK day (Racialicious)
- When will this shit stop? (The Think)
- Knipp, Tarleton and Clemson (Jasmyne Cannick)
- The Sexiness of Racism (Women of Color Blog)
- These people must think we’re Booboo the Fool. (The Anti-Essentialist Conundrum)
- More random updates on the Clemson and UConn parties (Rachel’s Tavern)
- The Minstrel Show (black…MYstory)
Columbia University
- Teacher Targeted in Hate Crime at TC (Columbia Spectator)
- Yet more nooses (Racialicious)
- Jena, New York (Angry Brown Butch)
- Swastika Painted on Columbia Professor’s Door (New York Times)
Dartmouth University
- Dartmouth’s Conservatives (Try to) Demonize Indians (Blue Corn Comics)
- Dartmouth president apologizes to Native American students (Boston Globe)
- Dartmouth Review: ‘Natives’ cover was a mistake (Indianz.com)
Hamline University
- Hamline blackface costumes prompt investigation (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
Harvard University
- Students air racism concerns (The Harvard Crimson)
- Harvard students call cops upon seeing black people (Racialicious)
- No Black, Asian, overweight or unattractive women for Harvard party (Racialicious)
Indiana University
- Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3 (Alpha Gamma Delta Sisterhood Pics)
- One “Ghetto” Dinner Conversation (Double Consciousness)
Indiana State University
- Noose found in tree at Indiana State (Bloomington Herald-Times)
Johns Hopkins University
- Fraternity’s Halloween party sparks protest (MSNBC)
Long Island University, CW Post
- Muslim leaders condemn CW Post video (Newsday)
- Former CW Post RAs to file wrongful termination suit (Newsday)
Macalester
- Blackface, KKK Costumes Criticized (Federal News Radio)
- Controversial party reviewed by College Harassment Committee (The Mac Weekly)
- Blackface at William Jewell College and KKK costume at Macalester College (Racialicious)
Michigan State University
- Student and investigator barred from YAF meeting (The State News)
- Students protest YAF speaker (The State News)
- Michigan “Stormfront” Members Attended Nick Griffin Speech at MSU (Media Mouse)
Middlebury College
- Editorial: Celebrating Awareness (middleburycampus.com)
- Students protest party (middleburycampus.com)
- Party presents a chance to learn (middleburycampus.com)
- College should reject degrading party themes (middleburycampus.com)
- Native American students speak out about the party (middleburycampus.com)
- Pranksters regret offensive theme (middleburycampus.com)
New York University
- Anger over NY ‘immigration game’ (BBC News)
- The Sick and Twisted Games People Play (¡Para Justicia y Libertad!)
Oregon State University
- ‘Black Out Reser’ raises racial spectre (Oregon State University)
- Blackface and the Barometer (Eric Stoller’s blog)
- It’s very simple (Eric Stoller’s blog)
- Corvallis, Oregon (Eric Stoller’s blog)
- as I see it: Blackface painting at rally was ignorant (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
- Race controversies at OSU after noose in tree (KGW.com)
- Stunts at OSU strike a nerve of bigotry (The Oregonian)
- Noose + History = Racism (Eric Stoller’s blog)
Princeton University
- Princeton University is racist against me, I mean, non-whites (The Daily Princetonian)
- Editor’s Note (The Daily Princetonian)
- A message to our community (The Daily Princetonian)
- The Daily Princeton’s Rosie Carolla defense of Lian Ji op-ed (Racialicious)
- Desi Ivy Twerps Still Ivy Twerps (Sepia Mutiny)
- The Princetonian Isn’t Funny, It’s Just Racist (Huffington Post)
- Graffiti found in Blair Hall (The Daily Princetonian)
Purdue University
- Noose found in Purdue library (BoilerStation.com)
Santa Clara University
- Students, administration call off-campus theme party racist (Contra Costa Times)
- Another Racially Themed Party - “South of the Border” (Rachel’s Tavern)
- “South of the Border” Party at Santa Clara University.. WTF? (Andy Thoughts)
- Santa Clara University students mock Latinos with “South of the Border Party” (Racialicious)
- The Sick and Twisted Games People Play (¡Para Justicia y Libertad!)
SUNY Geneseo
- Students criticize SUNY Geneseo’s reaction to blackface Halloween costumes (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)
- Apologies, protest mark more blackface fallout (The Lamron)
- White supremacy alive and well in Geneseo (The Lamron)
- Halloween Costumes draw racism charge (The Lamron)
Tarleton State University
- MLK Party At Texas College Called Racist (CBS News)
- Outrage Over Texas College MLK Day Party (The Smoking Gun)
- Letter from President McCabe (Tarleton State University)
- Where there is a Martin Luther King Day, there will be little white boys and girls throwing gangster parties. (The Think)
- Knipp, Tarleton and Clemson (Jasmyne Cannick)
- Bettye Saar imagery at college “ghetto party” (No Snow Here)
- This is how racists ‘honor’ MLK (black…MYstory)
- The Minstrel Show (black…MYstory)
- Tarleton State and U Conn Law celebrate MLK with “ghetto” and “gangster” parties (Racialicious)
- Hundreds watch KKK rally in Texas town (Boston Globe)
Texas A&M
- Gates’ Unfinished Business: Racism at Texas A&M (ABC News)
- Blackface at Texas A&M: dialogue, not just condemnation, is needed (Racialicious)
- it happened again (Blac(k)ademic)
Tufts University
- “Oh Come All Ye Black Folk” (AlterNet)
- BUSH YOUTH: Still struggling to deal with the fact that nonwhite people exist (No More Mister Nice Blog)
- Tufts University finds another way to say “nigger” (Prometheus 6)
- The Annual Primary Source Christmas Carols (Tufts Primary Source)
United States Coast Guard Academy
- Coast Guard tries to deal with noose incident (CNN)
University of Arizona
- ‘Black’ theme party elicits concerned response (The Wildcat Online)
- University of Arizona students celebrate MLK day with blackface party (Racialicious)
University of Cincinnati
- Students: UC Not Speaking Out Against Racial Intolerance (WCPO Cincinnatti)
University of Connecticut
- Another celebration of black culture (The Smoking Gun)
- Where there is a Martin Luther King Day, there will be little white boys and girls throwing gangster parties. (The Think)
- UCONN Law Students Hold Racially Offensive Party (Rachel’s Tavern)
- A Little More on the UConn Law School Situation (For Mike Nichols if You Are Reading) (Rachel’s Tavern)
- More random updates on the Clemson and UConn parties (Rachel’s Tavern)
- The Minstrel Show (black…MYstory)
- Tarleton State and U Conn Law celebrate MLK with “ghetto” and “gangster” parties (Racialicious)
University of Delaware
- Racism at UD, May 2007 (Campus La Raza)
- Racist party strikes again, but so does learning … maybe? (Vox ex Machina)
- College racism and crummy apologies (Resist racism)
- It’s Official. Black Folks Now Passé. Let the Mexican Stereotypes Fly. (Slant Truth)
- Introducing: The College Party Form Letter! (Don’t Read This Blog)
- Racist Theme Parties: Freedom of speech or freedom to hate? (¡Para Justicia y Libertad!)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- Race Relations 101 (Daily Illini)
- ‘Tacos and Tequila’ on Campus (eSpectrum)
- Forum participants discuss racism, diversity issues (UIUC News Bureau)
- A Native Perspective on UIUC’s “Chief Illiniwek” [NOTE: This is an entire blog documenting racism at University of Illinois connected to the Chief Illiniwek controversy.]
- And Finally, Chief Illiniwek Is Gone (Slant Truth)
- Respect (A Rational Animal)
- University Reverses Policy to Allow Mascot’s Return (New York Times)
- ‘Free speech’ trumps all (Resist Racism)
- Blackface a black mark for every student (Daily Illini)
University of Louisiana, Monroe
- Students In Blackface “Jena 6″ Reenactment (The Smoking Gun)
- Because racism is fun (Resist Racism)
- Wait Until I Tell Vox (elle, phd)
University of Maryland
- Officials investigate possible UM hate crime (Baltimore Sun)
- Hate Crime at the University of Maryland? (reappropriate)
University of Memphis
- U of M advises fraternity be suspended for racial comments (Nashville News Channel 5)
University of Michigan
- Two quick notes about Michigan (Sepia Mutiny)
- Minority Groups Protest ‘Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day’ on Michigan Campus (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
- The right way to protest. (Women of Color Blog)
University of Mississippi
- Ole Miss fines, suspends frat (Commerical Appeal/The Associated Press)
- Frat wants suspension lifted despite racial claim (Chicago Sun-Times)
University of New Mexico
- Student tears Mexican flag; suspect remains at large (New Mexico Daily Lobo)
- Another Campus Incident (Oh No a WOC PhD)
University of St. Thomas
- Series of racist threats roil St. Thomas campus (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune)
University of Texas, Austin
- Dean chides law students over ‘ghetto’ party (MSNBC)
- Racism and Cheap Thrills at the University of Texas Law School (CounterPunch)
- Get Rid of Affirmative Action to Shield Minorities from the White Man’s Crazy (The Anti-Essentialist Conundrum)
- Frat-fabulous racism (Daily Texan)
- Texas Fraternity To Throw Racist Theme Event (¡Para Justicia y Libertad!)
- Petition against “Cholo/Ghetto Mexican” frat party (La Nueva Raza)
- Back to School And the Racist Parties (Racewire)
University of Virginia
- University of Virginia cartoonist on Ethiopian famine (Racialicious)
University of Washington
- ALAG (Outside In … And Back Again)
- ALAG Update (Outside In … And Back Again)
Whitman College
- College Cancels Classes for Race Seminar (ABC News)
- Racism’s impact on diversity (Whitman Pioneer)
William Jewell College
- Blackface at William Jewell College and KKK costume at Macalester College (Racialicious)
- Students, faculty stand up to racism (Kansas City Star)
Yale University
- Shock, surprise at news of break-in (Yale Daily News)
- Threats to free speech surprise campus (Yale Daily News)
- Moving past the hate, and the anti-hate (Yale Daily News)
- AASA to hold day of silence (Yale Daily News)
- Posters prompt ire from ANAAY (Yale Daily News)
- Native Americans build unity (Yale Daily News)
- White Yalies in blackface reveal racism on campus (Yale Daily News)
- race and violence: freshmen of color at yale (The North Star)
10 March 2007 at 17:17
Thank you so much for putting all of these links in one place - it’s such a helpful resource!
11 March 2007 at 22:31
No problem! I kept having to go hunt them down, and it was getting annoying, and so I figured having them all together would be nice. :-)
14 May 2007 at 22:35
I’ve got some more on Delta Zeta if you’re interested.
15 May 2007 at 8:22
I agree with -obw. Thanks for posting this list. It really gives a visual for how pervasive racism is at colleges/universities…and these are just the ones we have found out about because of facebook/media attention/the blogosphere. Ugh!
15 May 2007 at 11:31
Melinda: I would love the Delta Zeta stuff (well, not love, but you know what I mean). I haven’t had time to follow up on some of this. Any help would be hugely appreciated!
Eric: Thanks. Glad to know it’s of some use.
28 August 2007 at 14:13
OMG! I’m actually listed! I feel so popular! =D
Seriously though, this place is an excellent learning spot I turn to when I meet some dumbass who thinks that things “aren’t as bad as they used to be.”
28 August 2007 at 21:03
Thanks, Angel. Your form letter entry was really good (and dead-on). I’ve been keeping it limited specifically to college events and examples, but if the high school stuff keeps up, I may start adding those as well.
I’m sorry that this list is needed, but if it is, I’m glad it’s getting some use and not being ignored, if you know what I mean.
5 October 2007 at 1:50
Hey Vox you are missing the Middlebury Cowboys and Indians party a few years ago. Middlebury students held a party and asked everyone to choose whether to come as a cowboy or an Indian. The students who came as Indians spent the night locked in “jail.” It made the Vermont papers and some of the indigenous papers but I no longer remember the sources.
5 October 2007 at 11:09
Thanks for the heads-up on Middlebury; I hadn’t heard about it. It’s been added.
18 October 2007 at 6:06
Hey All, first let me agree with you all, this site has been soooo helpful!!
I am trying to compile several images and accounts of racism on school grounds from the past two years.
Is there anywhere that has just images?
Also, I am doing an anti-racism rally at my college (a traditionally white, ivy league new england college) to get some attention.
Hopefully the images I acquire will be moving and get some type of response
if anyone is interested in helping out please let me know…
18 October 2007 at 9:51
Hi, Jhandy. I don’t know of any site that archives just the images, but many of the blogs I’ve listed and especially news sites such as the Smoking Gun include photos, especially of the “theme parties.” Someone else might have some suggestions as well. I wish you a ton of luck at your rally!
21 October 2007 at 14:46
Hey Vox. I don’t know if this technically counts as a school incident, but the Palmdale folks just circulated a noose flyer through a black neighborhood neighboring Knight High School and also fliered the cars on school grounds. I counted it, thought you might too.
31 October 2007 at 6:18
Woah I had no idea you were keeping this list. This is awesome! Just found it via Resist Racism.
31 October 2007 at 10:57
Hi, Carmen. Yeah, I’m upset that it’s so long, but I think that with the sheer number of incidents, a list like this is kind of needed. I’m working on a high school version, too. :-/
1 November 2007 at 5:26
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN.
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1521375.html
Great list here. :)
1 November 2007 at 7:24
Hi Vox - I have 3 more posts to add to the list for Oregon State University…
http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/10/22/blackface-and-the-barometer/
http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/10/28/its-very-simple/
http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/10/25/corvallis-oregon/
I’m actually an OSU alum and am currently employed by the university…
1 November 2007 at 10:36
Profbwoman - I thought I’d responded to your comment and just realized I didn’t. Sorry! I have it added to the high school list I’m working on, but the thing’s a mess and I have been so busy with other stuff that I just haven’t managed to get it live yet.
Daomadan and Eric - Thank you both for the links! I’ve added them to the list.
1 November 2007 at 11:12
Can you ping the 3 links from my site…I would love it if my readers who subscribe via email for comments would see the link to this page…
(Otherwise, I’ll just put up a new post re: this page :-)
1 November 2007 at 11:19
And now my WordPress ignorance shows; I have no idea how to do that!
1 November 2007 at 11:36
When you go into the WP admin dashboard and manage/edit this page, there should be a section called “Trackbacks” - you can enter the URLs into the trackback field separating them with spaces… I am not as familiar with wp.com’s but it should work… email me if it doesn’t..
1 November 2007 at 17:21
http://brynmawr.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017517&l=a6e83&id=10300771
Hey, I made an album of all the Halloween ‘07 blackface photos I’ve found (so far) on the website CollegeHumor.com. I feel like my diploma just depreciated big time if these pictures are indicative of the college experience.
3 November 2007 at 16:43
Thank you very much for keeping this list!
You should definitely add Michigan State University–they have an actual hate group active on campus. (Young Americans for Freedom–recognized by Southern Poverty law Center. )
They recently invited a neo-nazi to speak:
http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2007/10/students_protest_yaf_speaker
Members of Stormfront attended:
http://www.mediamouse.org/features/110307michi.php
Regrettably, one of the YAF crew is on the editorial staff at the school paper, which has made reporting pretty loose, and the group has excluded reporters:
http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2007/09/yaf
I know of several instances where racist flyers were posted on student’s doors, but they were not reported publicly.
4 November 2007 at 0:39
http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/7610
http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/7631
http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/7748
http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/17533
just a small snippet of links from my time at yale.
there should be more about a series of chalkings that called for the killing of indigenous people (shortly after columbus day) during 2002 or 2003 but i can’t find them. there was also a series of incidents of campus police harassing and arresting black new haven residents and black yale students for, you guessed it, being to black to be around yale. but guess what, can’t find anything documented around that either…
kudos to you for starting this list!
4 November 2007 at 9:21
Don’t forget This incident at Harvard
5 November 2007 at 12:07
Whoa, I knew I’d missed a bunch, but you’d think Yale and Harvard would get a bit more publicity than Macalester or William Jewett. Well, maybe not; they probably have shares in a lot of media machines. Thank you, you guys, for the tips.
Eileen, I linked your album under “General Links,” but if that’s not okay, let me know and I’ll remove it. I can screen your comment, too, if you don’t want people on your facebook page.
Sunny, I tracked down the chalkings, but couldn’t find the arrests. Thanks for the tips. I knew Yale had a history, but didn’t realize it was so documented.
8 November 2007 at 19:39
A noose was photographed yesterday hanging from a tree in the yard of one of OSU’s campus fraternities.
10 November 2007 at 10:38
Here are a few more links from the Oregonian (Portland newspaper) and KGW (local tv station) on the noose at OSU.
15 November 2007 at 12:11
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30 November 2007 at 19:47
[...] tip to Vox es Machina. I lived in the area for about a decade (between the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s), and attended [...]