Spring Hill College students await change on campus exactly one year after racist graffiti was found on the back of an SHC building.
On October 26, 2023, members of SHC’s Black Student Union went around campus with sidewalk chalk, writing various messages about the changes that need to be made both on campus and in the world regarding racism. BSU members want the people of Spring Hill’s campus to know that they never forgot about what was written last year and how it affected everyone involved.
On October 26, 2022, a racist slur was written on the outside of New Hall. Following this event, members of SHC’s Black Student Union took action to make sure nothing of the sort would happen again. Shortly after the graffiti was found, a group of students participated in the same project that was repeated this year–writing in chalk around campus to inspire change.
Current BSU president Ray Taliaferro, Jr. said, “The chalk wasn’t only for black students. It was for everyone who depended on the executives to stand on their word to prevent anything that may happen in the future.”
In response to the graffiti in 2022, SHC officials sent out campus-wide emails detailing what steps would be taken to help the people affected and prevent a similar incident from happening again. Such actions included cultural competency training for all undergraduate students, faculty, staff, and Cabinet members in January 2023; monthly Common Hour Conversations; a Student Justice League to run parallel to BSU; and faculty-led discussions on racial justice issues. These are the promises that were made and which BSU members feel as though SHC officials have not seen through.
“We hope this brings attention back to the situation that affected the campus. We want the executives to put actions behind their words,” said Taliaferro.
The chalk-work can be found around campus, specifically by the LAC and student center. For further information regarding the project, visit BSU’s Instagram @shcbsu.
For more information about this story, refer to Mya Falgout’s article titled “Graffiti 1 Year Later, What’s Changed?”
