Bree Capel
bic001@marietta.edu
Three weeks ago, a banner commemorating Black History month was stolen days after being put up. The banner read, “Black History is American History,” and included the popular hashtag “BlackLivesMatter.” It was at first torn, and then completely removed.
The banner was put up outside of Chlapaty Cafe on Feb. 4 by the independent student group MC Speaks Out. The group did not file a police report. The person who removed the banner is unknown.
“I’m disappointed but not shocked by the removal of our Black History Month banner,” junior broadcasting major Brittany Waugaman said. Waugaman, who hung the banner, is one of two co-founders for MC Speaks out, which works to generate dialogue on both overt and inferential racism against the Black community.
“Conversations about diversity and race happen so rarely on campus [and] I think many people get angry when it’s ever brought up…I think it’s very clear that there is still a lot of work to be done on this campus,” she said. “Whoever took down the banner needs to realize that it was a racist act of harassment, and I hope the administration works to discipline those people appropriately.”
Junior petroleum engineer major Taylor Debee said she disagreed with the banner’s message, but that the incident was “unfortunate” regardless.
“Even though my personal views may not agree with the banner, I feel everyone on this campus has the right to stand up for what they believe and advertise for what is important to them,” she said. “It is unfortunate our campus reacted negatively to that. If it is something that people do not agree with that they should just ignore it instead of vandalizing it.”
When asked to share her thoughts on the message of the banner, biology major Carrie Barth said that she believes that Black History is only partially American History, and asserted that if Black History month exists, then periods of commemoration should also exist for other historically oppressed groups.
Regardless of individual beliefs on campus, Marietta College cites Global Perspective and Diversity as one of seven core values in its mission statement. Richard Danford, director of diversity and inclusion at MC, commented on the incident.
“We should use the removal of this banner as an opportunity to carefully examine and affirm our values as a community of scholars and engaged citizens,” he said. “I would also encourage all of us to actively create and seek out opportunities for thoughtful and respectful dialogue with one another about the lived experiences of black individuals and communities within U.S. society.”
