NashL-racistposters, etc. article
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Transcript of NashL-racistposters, etc. article
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Written by Laura Nash Published Spring 2010
Several racially offensive posters were found in Templeton Campus Center, Watzek Library, Miller Center for the Humanities and J.R. Howard Hall last week. In response to this incident, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark organized two forums and a sit-‐down this week.
According to an email sent by Dean of Students Celestino Limas to the entire College of Arts and Sciences student body, there were “three different flyers.” “These flyers included a blackface image, a racist term, and all of them included references to the date of Malcolm X’s assassination and ’40 acres and a mule,’” wrote Dr. Limas.
According to Dr. Limas, the posters were found by “three people, around noon Thursday… People [Campus Safety and others] felt comfortable saying that as of late Wednesday night they were not up.” As soon as they were found, the posters were removed. Most were destroyed. However, at least three sets of posters were kept: one set (of the “three different flyers”) went to Campus Safety, one went to be shown to ASLC and another was kept for school records.
Anyone who has any information regarding the incident has been encouraged to come forward. Dr. Limas said that if the person or people responsible were found “Punishment is premature... The first thing would be to have a conversation.” Also, “It could be anybody,” said Limas. The perpetrator(s) are not necessarily students.
Both of the emails written by Celestino Limas and ASLC President Brad Elkins (’10) invited students to seek support and voice their opinions about this incident. In response to his email, Celestino Limas said, “I have heard from dozens of students over the last few days…[This] is very, very promising for our community…”
The first forum was held on Tuesday night. Latricia Brand, associate dean/director of multicultural affairs, wrote in an email, “There will be a forum for students of color to come together and have their voices and needs heard in a safe community.”
Wednesday afternoon, all students were invited to partake in a “sit-‐down” on the lawn in front of Pamplin Sports Center. This event was organized by students. When asked what he thought about this, Celestino Limas said, “I think anytime students express their support, it’s a good thing.”
The final forum was on Thursday and all members of the LC community were allowed to attend. Brad Elkins wrote to the CAS students, “This is an opportunity to express your feelings, concerns, frustrations, and opinions in an open and safe manner.”
As to why the posters were posted, Celestino Limas referenced forms of communication such as Facebook and Twitter. Limas said that things like this may happen because “students are not comfortable having conversations with each other about difficult topics…People think that it is easier and safer to express their ideas this way.”
“Students should be able to engage each other,” Limas said. “Now, we are left to make inferences off of a flyer… These flyers have been directed in a way that is very blanket, and this makes people feel not safe, not welcome.”
Celestino Limas does not believe that the incident has anything to do with the swastika incidents last semester. Neither does he think it likely that the responsible party will be discovered.
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According to Dean of the Chapel Mark Duntley, who has been at LC for twenty-‐one years, this situation is unprecedented. Duntley said, “While offensive graffiti has taken place from time to time, and racist, homophobic, and other kinds of unacceptable words and pictures have cropped up in public places at times, I cannot recall any instances where posters were placed around campus in an intentional way like happened last week.”
“Something I feel really confident about,” Limas said. “Given the response from the community, whoever the authors of the flyers were are a really small minority.”