Noose Found Hanging Near Black Cultural Center at UMD

[One2Snoop]

UMD Students, Leaders React To Noose In Tree

POSTED: 2:20 pm EDT September 10, 2007
UPDATED: 6:45 pm EDT September 10, 2007

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The mood was tense Monday at the University of Maryland.

Students across racial and cultural boundaries want the person who hung a noose in a tree outside the campus black cultural center caught and punished.

Campus police have launched an investigation -- interviewing witnesses, collecting forensic evidence from the photograph of the noose.



On Monday, campus leaders met with administrators to find a remedy.

"It made me angry actually," student Michelle Jokoh said. "It's sad that it's 2007 and still racial stuff goes on."

On Friday, a student reported seeing a noose made of rope hanging from a tree set next to the Nyumburu Cultural Center, home of several black student organizations on campus.

Police said it may have been hanging there for at least a week. Someone took a photograph before the noose was taken. Police were not called until it had been removed from the tree.

Police said the rope stretched about three feet with a three-inch noose. It was dangling from a branch, about 15 feet up.

University of Maryland administrators said the possible hate crime will not be tolerated on campus. The noose, they said, recalls a painful history of lynching that generates fear.

Student leaders met with administrators to begin a dialogue about the climate of race on campus and to seek solutions.

"The campus really values diversity, it's a really open climate, so I was shocked something like this would happen," said Laura Moore, president of the graduate student body. "It reminds us there are still problems we need to address."

Campus spokeswoman Millree Williams called the act "abhorrent."

"We're taking aggressive steps to track down [the] perpetrator," she said. "We have a very diverse and inclusive campus and students across campus are abhorred by the incident."

Campus officials said the last time there was a major race-based hate crime on campus was in 1999, when someone sent threatening letters to several African American students on campus.

In the most recent incident, students plan to meet Tuesday night for to speak out on the topic.

They said communication and education may be a big part of the solution.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/14083470/de...=headlineclick

[Athena]

Thanks for posting that One2. Appears to me that at least the school is responding appropriately and so is the student body. Makes a big difference from what happened in the Jena 6 case. JMO

[TuscanDreams]

Originally Posted by Athena

Thanks for posting that One2. Appears to me that at least the school is responding appropriately and so is the student body. Makes a big difference from what happened in the Jena 6 case. JMO

AMen to that! The situation with the Jena Six may not have escalated if school authorities had taken proper care of their inicident of racial intimidation.

[WarmNCozy]

Originally Posted by Freshwater

According to NPR, the noose hanging incident at the Univeristy of Maryland, College Park is being classified by LE as a hate crime. www.NPR.org

As it should be!!!! This makes me so angry that in this day and age, things are still happening.

[Athena]

Originally Posted by Freshwater

According to NPR, the noose hanging incident at the Univeristy of Maryland, College Park is being classified by LE as a hate crime. www.NPR.org

Funny but I never thought it was anything but.... which is why I don't understand why federal charges have not been brought or sought. Just doesn't make sense. No different than if someone paints a swastika on public property. It is a symbol of hatred and intimidation. Apparently some don't understand the horrific connotation these symbols carry or do and just totally disregard it. JMO

[dallasvic]

I found this and I think it might apply to this. What do you think ?

http://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/Hate_Crimes/Summary.html