Racist notes found on Drake University’s campus

DES MOINES, IOWA — Pupils say racist notes had been found on Drake University’s campus this previous weekend. Several learners are upset about it.
The college says racist notes were being found in Cowles Library and a first-12 months home corridor. The incident saddens drake College senior Marlee Rutledge. She functions in the neighborhood-engaged finding out business, which is situated in the library.
“There ended up two of 4 notes. The other two were discovered in the residence corridor. The other two were observed on my boss’s desk in the neighborhood-engaged understanding [office], stating, ‘screw Black Record Month’ and ‘screw Black life matter,” explained Rutledge.
Rutledge claims school leaders fulfilled with black and brown learners to examine the incident, but she thinks additional demands to be performed so this does not happen once more.
“It would be wonderful if there were more actionable implications when racialized antagonisms materialize on campus,” said Rutledge.
“We typically just have a town hall or do like a performative evaluate these kinds of as like ‘Paint it Black’ and then we have the identical incident come about a person or two a long time later on.”
The University Provost, Sue Mattison, wrote this letter to pupils.
“On Friday, President Martin and I acquired about racist messages that were being posted in Cowles Library and in a initial-yr home hall. A lot of of you have heard about this already. The messages had been assaults in opposition to Black people today. We are doing the job to come across the unique(s) who posted these messages, to provide a just resolution to the subject. If any one has any information that will assist us find who did this, it is critical that you occur ahead. Remember to e mail Main College student Affairs Officer Dr. Jerry Parker, Dean of Students Dr. Hannah Clayborne, Associate Provost of Campus Fairness and Inclusion Dr. Jennifer Harvey, or myself (all e-mails integrated higher than). If any individual else has been impacted by this incident, please look for guidance. You can get started by making contact with the Drake College Counseling Heart.
Yesterday, various of us satisfied with pupils of color and other people to speak about this incident. What I read: college students of color are fatigued, experiencing overt racism and microaggressions every one day. In sharing their encounters, they gave us insight into options, and we will act.
I want to repeat here and affirm what we say in our Drake College Statement of Ideas: “We abhor functions of oppression, be they denial of flexibility of expression, discrimination in its a variety of types of sexism or racism, or intolerance of religion, age, sexual orientation, or political beliefs or harassment of any member of the college local community.”
Each individual pupil has just about every right to truly feel and to be protected on Drake’s campus.
Though we can’t escape the racism that is existing in our earth, we will proceed to develop antiracism and be antiracist on our campus and in our communities. This dedication features offering on the information that we will not tolerate racist functions like the a person our group is experiencing right now. It means we will proceed to develop systems and initiatives to be certain we are proactive in stopping such incidents.”
University Provost, Sue Mattison