Outrage After Racist Email Goes Out To Black Organizations At University of Massachusetts
Students on the Amherst campus at the University of Massachusetts are outraged after various Black organizations at the school were sent an email filled with disturbing and racist content, reports Newsweek.
Vice-Chancellor Nefititi Walker issued a statement (September 25) condemning the email that was made public. Replying on Twitter to her statement post, she said, “it’s disgusting. I feel for our students. I’m giving this my all. All of my time and energy.”
In the statement, Walker calls the content of the email “vile, blatantly racist, and violently offensive.” She continues saying, “since hearing of these incidents, we have begun a multi-unit collaborative investigation into the hateful acts. We also created opportunities to support the students directly impacted.”
The email was addressed to “Black Students of our campus” and signed by “The UMass Coalition for a better society.” The email first states that its author used a non-student account to avoid being “victimized by the predictable cries of ‘racism’ and not being inclusive.”
Officials from UMass conclude that the emails were allegedly sent out to different Black organizations between September 8 through September 17th. Students who are members of the National Society of Black Engineers received the first disturbing email, which includes such vile statements as asking the students to remove their genitals as a form of sterilization and in hopes of erasing their DNA.
Walker and University officials say they will continue their investigation into this racist incident but need students to come forward to help them with any additional information in this matter.
Black students on campus, however, feel as if petitions and statements only go so far and it’s the school’s responsibility, not theirs, to keep them safe.
