Pro-Donald Trump messages scrawled in chalk at Emory University Monday brought unwanted attention that has swelled in national media.
That morning, members of the campus community of the private institution in DeKalb woke to find a number of messages supporting Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump. Some students found the “TRUMP 2016” scribbles so offensive that a group of about 50 of them protested in the administration offices. Some minority students said they felt targeted, and one student even said she feared for her life.
The reaction by offended students was picked up by national media such as the Washington Post and has drawn some derisive articles as the week progressed. Critics deemed the students’ protest as an overreaction.
Emory president James Wagner sent out a campus-wide email outlining four steps that administrators plan to take to address issues raised by protesters, according to the school's newspaper The Emory Wheel.
Wagner proposed “immediate refinements to certain policies and procedural deficiencies; regular and structured opportunities for difficult dialogues; a formal process to institutionalize identification, review and addressing of social justice opportunities and issues; and commitment to an annual retreat to renew [their] efforts.”
In a media statement, Emory officials said Thursday that the persons responsible for the chalking “graffiti” have not been identified, and that no follow-up action is planned related to the incident. The statement goes on to say: “
It’s important to note that chalkings by students are allowed as a form of expression on the Emory campus but must be limited to certain areas and must not deface campus property–––these chalkings did not follow guidelines–––that’s the issue regarding violation of policy, not the content.”
The Trump writings at Emory and the resultant student protests, come months after black students at the university — in conjunction with national student protest effort — demanded the school be more inclusive of minority students.
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