Following several recent concerns of discrimination on college campuses throughout Pennsylvania, the state's Human Relations Commission has released a report that the commission said "details the traumatic experiences of on-campus hate and harassment" and lists "concrete demands" for schools to address the issue.
Called the ENOUGH Report, the new document comes after a listening tour at 14 college campuses throughout the state that took place over the course of nearly two years.
The commission created the report in partnership with State Senator Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, and, according to the commission, it "covers student perspective, university actions, and an overview of the ENOUGH Tour timeline."
"This effort has become even more urgent since the US Supreme Court put our nation in reverse by ending affirmative action in college admissions. College admissions officers and recruiters are being told to wear the same blinders that prevented them from seeing Black talent for centuries," Haywood said in a statement on the effort.
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The report includes samples of what organizers heard on the listening tour, including:
- Black students have reported being compared to animals.
- Students report that professors have forced them to say racially insensitive words and slurs in class. Students comply out of fear for their grades.
- There was an incident where white students stole the belongings of a Black student and recorded a video pretending to lynch their teddy bear. This harassment caused the Black student to transfer out of the school, and there were few repercussions for the white students.
- When asked about his race or ethnic background, a student stated he was “Black, native, and Hispanic.” Another student called him a mutt.
- A Confederate flag and other racially insensitive things were put on a student’s door.
- White students often make jokes about the color of other students’ skin.
"All students should be in an environment that is conducive to learning and free from discrimination. That is why I designed the ENOUGH Listening Tour," Hayward said in a statement. "Ultimately, Pennsylvania's leaders and institutions should respect the dignity of all students. The work to ensure that dignity is intact for Pennsylvania's Students of Color continues with this report in hopes that one day the work will no longer be required."
In response to the report's findings, Haywood is calling for the development of "a standard code of conduct that prohibits racial harassment, standardized processes for incident reporting and response, adaptation of best practices for retaining students of color, and for each campus to create a Title VI office to enforce anti-discrimination," his office said in a statement.
Also, the commission said that it will work with state schools in Pennsylvania to "provide training and outreach to staff and students."
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