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Students Were Freaking Out Over ‘White Only’ And ‘Black Only’ Signs–Just One Problem…
Image for representational purposes only.
University of Buffalo fine arts student Ashley Powell wanted to provoke a reaction. She succeeded.
The graduate student decided that as a project for one of her classes, she would hang signs that read “White Only” and “Black Only” near water fountains and bathrooms in the college’s Clemens Hall. Students discovered the signs on Wednesday.
“It brought up feelings of the past of a past that our generation has never seen which I think is why it was so shocking for us to see,” said Micah Oliver, president of the Black Student Union. Oliver said the signs were “bitterly offensive” because of their historical context.
Oliver said more than 100 students turned out for a Wednesday night meeting on the signs, which were removed by university police Wednesday.
“There was fear expressed, anger, disappointment – all of that,” Oliver said.
Then Powell, who is black, stood up to explain that this was all part of her art project. The explanation didn’t soothe ruffled feathers. The college’s student newspaper reported that many students walked out of the meeting. On social media, students denounced Powell’s project as “racist” and “an act of terrorism,” the student newspaper reported.
“This was more than a black issue, more than a Black Student Union issue, this was a student issue,” Oliver said. “The student body should be offended.”
As a result, Powell issued a statement on Thursday that was carried in the college’s student newspaper.
“I apologize for the extreme trauma, fear, and actual hurt and pain these signs brought about,” Powell said in the statement.
“I apologize if you were hurt, but I do not apologize for what I did. Once again, this is my art practice. My work directly involves black trauma and non-white suffering. I do not believe that there can be social healing without first coming to terms with and expressing our own pain, rage, and trauma,” she wrote.
University officials said that the incident remains under review.
h/t: EAG News
Source: http://www.westernjournalism.com/students-were-freaking-out-over-white-only-and-black-only-signs-just-one-problem/
maybe black lives matters will burn down buildings and call it art project too?
Eat More GMO