Racist signs were found at the the University of South Carolina's African American Studies department this week, according to the Post and Courier. The signs caused an uproar on campus; the university has begun an internal investigation.
The department's bulletin board normally displays a collage of historically significant black South Carolinians. The racist signs, which referenced Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, were posted over the pictures. Leland Williams Jr., a student at the school, took a picture of the display and posted on it Instagram and Facebook.
"The whole minority student body found out," said Williams, who initially found out about the signs via a GroupMe text exchange.
"This morning, flyers bearing racist language were discovered in several buildings on campus," a spokesperson for the university said in response to the flyers. "This is unacceptable and inconsistent with our institutional values. At UofSC, we strive to create a campus built on the tenets of the Carolinian Creed, inclusivity and respect for all. These racist messages run contrary to who we are as Gamecocks and have no place at Carolina. University officials are continuing to investigate the matter."
The spokesperson also revealed that the ongoing investigation is bearing fruit: "Eyewitnesses observed a white male that appeared to be in his mid-40s in the area at the time the flyers were discovered. Video surveillance confirms that description and USCPD is working to identify the individual. Officials are not sure if he has any connection to the university."
Student body vice president Dani Goodreau released a statement via Twitter that said she was "disgusted" by the display.
I am disgusted by the display of hatred against our African American community this morning. I stand united with our scholars. This is not South Carolina. pic.twitter.com/epKTv6mXzE— Dani Goodreau (@DaniGoodreau) January 16, 2018
For his part, Williams hopes this incident will lead to positive change at the school. "It kind of feels like USC doesn’t care about us, honestly," Williams said. "It keeps happening in these small little instances, and it’s turning into something like this — we’re being called monkeys."
