Vigil addresses racism on Baylor's campus
Nov. 19, 2008
Candles refused to stay lit Friday evening as about 26 students, faculty members and Columbia residents huddled under the mist in Speaker's Circle.
During the vigil, they prayed, recited poems and shared their own experiences about the prevalence of racism.
The Legion of Black Collegians organized the event to show support for the students affected by what were believed to be acts of racism on Baylor University's campus, said LBC political chairman Kevin Anderson.
According to a Nov. 6 article in Baylor's newspaper, The Lariat, a rope was discovered tied like a noose outside of a classroom building on Tuesday Nov. 4. Several students came forward later and said the rope was actually a rope swing.
The article also said that after the election results were announced, signs promoting then-presidential candidate Barack Obama signs were found burning in a fire pit. According to a letter from Interim Baylor President David Garlan, the university now believes they were actually computer boxes.
The newspaper also reported an confrontation involving racist remarks took place outside of a residence hall after the election.
Anderson began the vigil with a speech encouraging students to work to eradicate injustice.
"Remember the many people who boycotted the buses in Montgomery (Ala.)," he said.
Senior and former LBC Vice President Porscha Kirkwood recited a poem called "Racism still sadly continues," by Amit Chubbah.
"I am so fed up of hearing 'They from so and so, they all the same,'" she recited.
Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton said students should bond together to change others' perspectives. He suggested looking beyond anger.
"I hope you don't waste too much valuable time achieving goals with anger at racism," Middleton said. "Keep your eye on the prize."
Anderson said LBC held the vigil because Baylor is a fellow member of the Big 12 Council on Black Student Government.
Also, he said it was important for LBC to show their support for the students at Baylor because racism is still prevalent.
Anderson said although blatant racist acts aren't as common as they used to be, institutional racism still exists in such forms as standardized testing techniques and racial profiling.
"The only way to extinguish these things is to stand as one," he said.
LBC Parliamentarian Jeleya Burnett also organized the event and said one of the missions of the LBC is to eradicate ignorance, and she hoped the vigil would encourage that.
"We take stances, and things of that nature are not to be tolerated," she said.
Burnett said she has not seen racism on campus regarding the election, but has seen racist remarks on Web sites like Facebook and JuicyCampus.com.
She said there were remarks about assassinating Obama on JuicyCampus.
Anderson said he is planning a forum on the N-word in order to educate students about racism. He said he will film students on campus and ask them about their responses to the word.
Freshman Whitney Williams said the vigil was an important thing for LBC to do.
"Though racism has come far, we need to acknowledge it is around and we are not going to stand for it," she said.
Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story did not include developments in the various incidents at Baylor University. It has been updated. The Maneater regrets the error. (Added 4:04 p.m., November 19, 2008)
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