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.  

 

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.”