Content Warning: This article contains references to hateful language and slur use.
The Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance has launched an investigation into the events that occurred on McDonough Field on Jan. 10, when an unknown party wrote large letters spelling out the N-word in the snow. The department is tasked with upholding the University’s Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of “race” or “color.”
This comes after Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond told The Emory Wheel on Jan. 10 that the Emory Police Department was reviewing security camera footage of the incident. However, there has been a lack of updates as the investigation continues.
“Over the past few days, I’ve gotten the chance to talk with members of our community, especially student leaders,” Fenves said in a Jan. 16 statement. “I’ve heard how shocked, horrified and hurt they are. This hateful act is heartbreaking to me, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. There is simply no place for racist language on our campus. It is counter to our most precious values, and we must do better.”
Meanwhile, students have grappled with the ramifications of the incident for the past two weeks. Student organizations condemned the act as “vile,” saying the incident creates an atmosphere of fear and division.
Emory Black Student Alliance (BSA) publicized a statement addressing the act in a Jan. 13 Instagram post, calling the writing a “chilling act of hate.”
“The frequency and severity of racist incidents on this campus are escalating, yet the administration and Emory Police Department have failed to take meaningful action,” BSA stated. “The lack of stronger security and accountability measures leaves Black students vulnerable and unheard.”
BSA requested that the University conduct a “transparent investigation” into the incident, take accountability for the “lack of security and safety measures on campus,” and enact more safety measures for Black students and marginalized communities.
Young Democrats of Emory reposted BSA’s statement on Jan. 14 “in solidarity with Black Emory.” Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP) reposted BSA’s statement on their Instagram story, calling on University administration to hold the perpetrators responsible.
“ESJP stands with BSA and vehemently condemns this blatant act of racism,” ESJP wrote. “We shall continue to challenge white supremacy wherever it rears its ugly head whether that be in Israel or in the United States.”
Emory Revolutionary Students Collective, formerly Emory Stop Cop City, also reposted the statement, urging people to stand with the University’s Black community.
“Emory’s consistent brutalization of Black student organizers and their silencing of those who speak out against anti-Palestinian racism in their institutions has boldened anti-Black racists on our campus,” the organization wrote.
Following the statement, the Emory National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and BSA hosted an emergency Black Caucus assembly on Jan. 16. Around 40 attendees gathered in White Hall and over Zoom.
Emory NAACP President Guyberson Pierre (25C), Emory NAACP Second Vice President Tyler Martinez (26C) and Emory NAACP Advocacy Chair Halle Bereket (26C) led the meeting. They discussed an open letter with a list of demands to the University, future plans for the BSA house and Black History Month events.
BSA and Emory NAACP drafted an open letter requesting that Emory take accountability for Black students being “subjected to violence and intimidation” when law enforcement shut down a pro-Palestinian protest on April 25, 2024 and the recent “act of hateful bigotry and racism” in the snow.
“While the physical remnants of such acts may have been removed, the legacy of pain, fear and disregard for Black students remains deeply ingrained in our campus,” the letter stated, as read by Martinez during the meeting. “What should be a home away from home has instead become a source of distress and hardship for Black students. Black students are exhausted from continually enduring these acts of hate and violence without adequate or proper recourse from the University.”
The groups addressed the letter to University President Gregory Fenves, interim Provost Lanny Liebeskind, Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Enku Gelaye and Executive Vice President for Business and Administration Christopher Augostini.
“Your failure to take meaningful action in addressing the pressing issues within your university has the power to enable harmful behaviors like that of Jan. 10, especially as we transition into an era shaped by the Donald Trump administration,” the letter stated.
Attendees collaborated to workshop the open letter. The drafted letter demanded that the University release the Jones Day report with investigation results into the events of April 2024, rename residential spaces and buildings currently named after Confederate slave owners, provide transparent updates on the investigation into the McDonough Field incident, regularly meet with Black student organization leadership, and allocate an endowment for Black student-led initiatives and events. Additionally, the draft requested that the University respond in writing within 48 hours.
Martinez said he hoped to collaborate with the administration regarding the letter. Bereket agreed, saying she hopes Emory NAACP can work with students and administration to “bridge a gap.
In a Jan. 17 Instagram post, Emory NAACP wrote that they delivered the letter to the administration.
Additionally, the Student Government Association passed a resolution condemning the incident on Jan. 15. The resolution sponsors plans to implement a Campus Climate Committee and advocate for more resources to address bias on campus.
Emory does not have information on the individuals or groups that committed the act, the University wrote in a Jan. 16 statement. On Jan. 21, Diamond wrote in an email to the Wheel that the University has nothing to add beyond the information provided in the original Jan. 16 statement.
If you or someone you know experienced hateful language or slur use, you can call the Emory Police Department at (404) 727-6111 or reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450. You can reach the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 614-6544.
