Students at Florida Gulf Coast University saw first-hand what racism looks like in 2016. Someone decided to send a hateful message inside a popular campus building. On a whiteboard in one of the classrooms, a stick figure drawing shows a person hanging from a tree with a message that said, “Kill N*ggers”.
Students on campus are outraged and rightfully so.
Following the incident, the University president released a statement condemning the lewd act.
“We read about these kinds of things happening on campuses and in other public places across the country, but it is personally distressing to see it here, a place that cares so deeply about and intentionally works so diligently to foster a community that supports each other in our diversity and inclusion,” William G. Bradshaw, FGCU president wrote.
The person responsible for the lynch threat has not been identified. University police are still investigating the matter.
When the person responsible is identified, what happens next? We have seen an increased number of race-based incidents on campuses and in classrooms this year targeting black students. From the banana being thrown at a black student at American University to the high school student with a noose yanked around his neck, it’s time for educational environments to update policies and procedures that can protect their diverse student body from such incidents.
See what students at FGCU had to say about the drawing.
