BRAVE, a local anti-racist organization, has protested the defacing of a whiteboard in a residence hall on the Bowling Green State University campus.
The incident as first reported on Facebook by someone who said a friend of her daughter’s found the message on the white board that read partially “Happy Black” had the rest of the message erased and “Trump 2020” written in its place. Also, the phrases “Black is beautiful” and “Black Lives Matter” had lines drawn through them.
In reposting the image, BRAVE – Black Rights, Activism, Visibility, Equity – stated:
“During Black History Month, Black people should be able to express pride in their culture without reservation or fear of backlash. A hate crime occurred on @officialbgsu campus, the words “Black History Month” was erased from a board and replaced with “Trump 2020”. This is disgusting and absolutely unacceptable. Unfortunately, this is not the first time a hate crime has occurred on BGSU’s campus and we are urging university leaders to take swift and appropriate actions to prevent this from reoccurring.”
Alex Solis, spokesperson for the university, issued the following statement:
“BGSU is aware of comments on the Class of 2024 Facebook page which do not reflect the University’s values or mission. We have the expectation that all students, faculty and staff treat one another with respect and understanding. We are extremely disappointed to learn of these actions and we will continue to investigate this incident. Let us be clear, our goal remains that we work together to build an inclusive environment where each of us can belong. This will take action on everyone’s part if we are to achieve such a campus climate.”
