When is this bullsh*t going to end??? Racism has left its mark on yet another U.S. college campus —
University of Missouri police are investigating a racist display left overnight outside of the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center on campus.
Faculty, staff and students awoke this morning to find the grassy area and sidewalk outside of the building on Virginia Avenue littered with cotton balls.
MU police officers were told that two individuals dressed in dark clothing were seen running from the area between 1:30 and 2 a.m., Capt. Brian Weimer said. Police were on the scene this morning and also are expected to review video from nearby surveillance cameras.
One MU police officer attempted to pick up the cotton balls and throw them away, said sophomore JaNeé Harrell, who said another student told the officer to leave them.
Weimer said the officer had collected some of the cotton that was being blown about by the wind, but he stressed there was no effort to cover up what had happened.
“Typically with vandalism, one of the first things you do is clean it up,†he said, noting that officers had already taken photos of the display.
The cotton should be left in public view, “so every black on campus can recognize the hate crime,†Harrell said. “Every minority on campus should be offended, just as whites should be embarrassed.â€
Marcus Mayes, a graduate student who works at the center, said the majority of students walking by the building this morning were upset.
“It’s not just an African-American thing,†he said. “Everyone is pretty much in awe. It’s 2010. A lot of people can’t believe it happened.â€
Cathy Scroggs, vice chancellor for student affairs, said she expects MU’s diversity office to host some sort of community forum to discuss what happened.
“People need to come together and talk about it,†she said. “We are outraged. Our African-American students are outraged, our white students are outraged, our Asian students are outraged, our faculty and staff are outraged. It’s hard to figure out who would want to do something like this and what they were thinking.â€
This shizz has us HEATED! Of all the cotton-pickin’ stunts to pull — this racist prank is far from funny. The legacy of slavery is no laughing matter.
