“I don’t believe we are free in America, we’re haunted by our history of racial inequality, burdened by a legacy created by slavery, lynching, and segregation.”- Bryan Stevenson
Bryan A. Stevenson is an African American lawyer, social justice activist, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and also a professor at New York University School of Law. His statement on the ideology of black freedom in America is proven as another racist act happened. This time, it was in The University of South Alabama.
On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, campus police received an anonymous tip of a noose and a bicycle hanging in a tree in front of the campus dining hall. When the police officers arrived, what they saw confirmed the anonymous tip that was given. Although the photo sent to USAPD appeared to show a noose, it was found missing when police officers arrived.
According to USAPD, they checked the serial number of the bike to determined whether it was a stolen bike or not and the results came out negative. Upon further investigation, USAPD also found out that the same tree the bike was on is regularly used for hanging sheet signs. It has been a long practice for sheet signs in trees throughout campus to advertise upcoming significant events, such as homecoming or recreational activities.
Following this situation, school authorities quickly took actions and found the perpetrator to be a campus student whose name was not released. Tony Waldrop, the President of the University of South Alabama, said in a statement posted on the school’s Facebook page.
“A University of South Alabama student has been interimly suspended and banned from campus, pending a formal hearing, after confessing to an incident discovered last night outside the campus dining hall”. It was said that the student acted alone.
The Student Government Association posted a statement the next day stating their intolerable stance against racism and discrimination.
