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A ‘blackout’ has been organized by the Black Student Union and Pride at the Central Connecticut State University for April 11 in response to the n-word being spray-painted on buildings at the New Berlin, Connecticut campus.
Over the weekend, the word ni**ers was emblazoned on two buildings. The university has covered up one and attempted to remove another. But many are upset with what they feel is an inadequate response to the racist graffiti and are also concerned that no one has been charged especially given that security cameras face the locations.
On Thursday, Pride and the Black Student Union will come together in the face of blatant racism and homophobia. Join us to let our campus know that you WILL NOT stand for the hatred that resides at CCSU.
On its Twitter account, CCSU did not address the incident rather just re-tweeted the call for a protest this week.
The slur was crudely spray-painted on the wall of the student center and an exterior wall of a parking garage.
A spokeswoman said it was discovered by a school employee but there have been Snapchat photos and videos circulating across social media.
In a statement, CCSU President Zulma Toro said “We must stand together to demonstrate that this behavior will not be tolerated on our campus, and I commit to leading this charge.”
The racial slur on Welte Garage has been removed. The university said a second chemical treatment is necessary to completely remove the paint from the Student Center site. A final application will be made tomorrow, but for now, a #CCSU banner has been hung to cover the word.
Images of the slurs before being removed, which are offensive and triggering, were shared hours before the story broke Sunday.
The image was provided to local media by a Twitter user who said a friend had taken the picture. The person has been inundated with mentions suggesting he spray-painted the slur with Jussie Smollet references. He categorically denies the accusation and has requested the accuser to back off. The Twitter user making the accusation appears to be a CCSU student and with just 7 followers, has just a few posts. The user follows Briebart News, Donald Trump, Ann Coulter and Matt Drudge, among others.
In a letter to the editor of the CCSU student newspaper The Recorder,, the Black Student Union wrote that Toro’s statement was far from enough and says the university has a “blatant disregard for the safety of its students of color.”
Dear Editor,
On Monday, April 8 at 9:18 a.m., Central Connecticut President Dr. Zulma Toro issued an email informing all students and faculty that on Sunday, April 7, there were hate speech messages found on our campus.
Within the email, President Toro expressed her strong disapproval for this behavior and that there will be serious charges following the investigation. As encouraging as this sounds, the Black Student Union formally expresses our dissatisfaction with the campus community’s blatant disregard for the safety of its students of color.
This incident, as expressed by President Toro, is something that will not be tolerated on our campus; however, this will not be the first time that the Black Student Union has addressed this problem. It has now become a difficult reality for CCSU students of color to accept and expect this form of behavior. Hate speech, as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, is speech expressing hatred of a particular group of people. What was not expressed within President Toro’s email was the form of hate speech that was found on our campus.
The hate speech that was discovered had been black, bolded lettering of the word “N***er.” The hate speech was found to paint a wall of our Student Center, a building dedicated to providing services and support programs to enhance the growth of the campus community that now has become a canvas for those to express their hatred toward African-Americans.
Throughout the course of American history, a word that has been used in degradation and humiliation of a race of people has been proudly plastered on the heart of our campus. This form of hate speech was deliberate in making a statement. The word was chosen in expression of not only hate, but to intimidate and strike fear in the heart of CCSU’s African-American student body. In upholding the core values and beliefs of the Black Student Union, we seek to develop a black consciousness at CCSU and to improve the cultural and social development of black students in [relation] to their past and future.
Satisfying our mission in uplifting students of African heritage would be impossible if this form of hate speech and behavior continues to plague our campus community. We implore you to join us in unity to combat this injustice and become an agent for change in making our campus a welcoming environment for all of its students.
Sincerely,
The Black Student Union
Heavy will follow the story and when a suspect has been charged, this post will be updated.