Robert Sobus – CCBC Student
Contributing Author
*Articles reflect the views of the author and or those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or the CCBC Connection.
College; a place where minds become educated, friendships are made, spouses are met, fun is inevitable, and students learn the type of men and women they are to become. When thinking about college these are just a few things that come to mind.
In recent months there has been a rise in acts of racism across college campuses. People feel threatened not only in classes and around campus, but even in their own dorm rooms. How can racism be combated in college, a place that is supposed to be a safe haven for students?
At the University of Warwick in the UK, first-year college student Faramade Ifaturoti found racial slurs written on bananas in her kitchen. Ifraturoti posted a picture of the abuse on Twitter. The image went viral and led to an anti-racism petition which has received over 1000 signatures. Ifaturoti allowed me to chat with her over Twitter and believes that, “Every university should have a specific policy for racism. Because in this case, if there was a specific policy, the matter would have been resolved faster.”
Clemson University in South Carolina faced a similar incident when bananas were hung from a sign supporting African-Americans at Fort Hill. This quickly made its way on to social media with the hashtag #BeingBlackAtClemson. Clemson University President Jim Clements sent an email out to the campus community stating, “This type of conduct is hurtful, disrespectful, and unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Clemson University is committed to providing a safe, encouraging environment which supports and embraces inclusiveness at every level.”
Harvard Law School, an Ivy League school in Boston Massachusetts is set to replace its emblem that displays a seal associated with slavery. The shield displays wheat taken from the Royall family’s coat of arms. Students at Harvard protested to have the shield changed. The protesting was a success as a committee at the law school decided to replace the emblem.
With the rise of racism towards African-Americans on college campuses, student-activist led groups worldwide have been leading protests to combat violence against black students.
The defacing of a sign supporting African-Americans at Fort Hill on Clemson University led to a protest dubbed “sit-in at Sikes Hall.” The students marched from Fort Hill to Sikes Hall at Clemson University demanding justice for black students. Clemson University student Tyreek Wilson told Justin Lee Campbell of the Tiger (student run newspaper for Clemson University) that he joined the march "to make sure something is done.”
No matter the race, ethnicity, or religion, you should value and learn the way of life that others live and follow. Students and or staff who commit any kind of violent acts or ethnocentrism regarding diversity should be punished accordingly.
Instead of seeing people for being Caucasian, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Chinese, etc… We should see people as being one race, the human race.
*Articles reflect the views of the author and or those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or the CCBC Connection.
The constant and blatant racism that occurs in colleges are definitely something to be aware of. Many people see it happening or have had it happened to them, but people do not really discuss or do something about it. I feel like now more than ever, young adults are bringing light to the injustice of racism and how it is still alive and affecting everyone. It’s a time now where we must stand up and put a stop to it.