Black Students Afraid to Return to Kansas State University After Racist Tweet

Many Black students at Kansas State University are afraid to return to school after a white student made a racist tweet about George Floyd, a Black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis.Jaden McNeil tweeted, “Congratulations to George Floyd on being drug free for an entire month!” A statement that drew support from national white supremacist groups, The Kansas City Star reported.Some people supported McNeil’s right to free speech, but many called for him to be expelled for his insensitive remarks. Michaela Ross, a sophomore, said she feels that the school is not welcoming to Black students.”And our administration has not taken actionable measures against racist incidents that have happened there, and this is not the first one,” Ross said.Students even took to Twitter to share their experiences of racism on campus using the hashtag #BlackAtKState.”I think the tensions are very high, and I don’t think that it is safe at all,” said Amaya Molinar. She said she has been called a racial slur on campus.Molinar said university officials are aware of students’ concerns because they have offered counseling.”But we don’t want counseling. Instead of teaching us how to live with racism on campus, they should focus their efforts on eliminating it.”Last week, President Richard Myers announced that the university would not expel McNeil.”While these messages are disrespectful and abhorrent, we cannot violate the law,” Myers said.Instead, the university provided a list of things it will do, including developing a social media policy for students and recruiting and retaining more students and faculty of color.Floyd died after a white officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd’s death sparked protests worldwide against racial injustice and police brutality.
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