Third Salisbury University racist graffiti incident

SALISBURY, Md.- Salisbury University found more graffiti promoting racist ideas on the campus Wednesday. The incidents are concerning for many students and administration.

“It makes me tired, I’m tired of it, I’m tired of people being looked at as unequal,” Madison Campbell, SU biology major, said.

For the third time in the past six months, racist graffiti has been found on Salisbury University’s campus.

Wednesday two messages were found. One in the Henson Hall stairwell and the other on a door in Fulton Hall, which is the same building where the last two incidents occurred.

Both messages said it’s a hang a n-word month.

“It’s just a continuous hate speech and hate crimes on this campus that seems to go almost unnoticed,” Stephon Mason, an SU sophmore, said.

Some students said these messages are disheartening because they said progress had been made since the last incident in November.

“We had good momentum, we had good support from a lot of outsiders, as well and administration,” Mason said.

But now students said a fear has been restored.

“The scary thing is they hide in the shadows, you could be walking next to them, sitting next to them in commons, and you don’t even know,” Savannah Johnson, an SU junior, said.

“I don’t feel safe, I really don’t,” Joshua Nazaire, an SU senior, said.

Salisbury University Police said they’re doing all they can to solve this, including getting help from local police, as well as the FBI.

“We’ve logged a significant amount of time and effort in investigating resources to include those federal resources from the FBI and our own detective,” Edwin Lashley, SU Police Chief, said.

Meanwhile, the schools President said they are still looking to hire a new chief diversity officer and will continue to take a stand in what is happening on campus.

“Hate and discrimination will not be tolerated on Salisbury University campus” Dr. Charles Wight, SU President, said.

But students said they’re tired of hearing lip service, what they want is progress.

“It becomes a little ineffective only to the point where nobody has a solution for anything and it’s through a lack of transparency between the student body and the administration,” Mason said.

Salisbury University’s President made the decision to cancel classes tomorrow to give students and administration the opportunity to come together and process what they experiencing.

Also, Wednesday night Salisbury Mayor Jake Day released a video on Facebook in response to the incidents.

In part, he said that he has faith that those in charge will handle the process professionally and that racists have no place in Salisbury.

He also said that “Whatever your race, gender, religion, or identity; wherever you’re from, and whomever you love…this is your town.”