Featured Image: Van Meter Hall. | PC: Mich Rouse ’24
This is a developing news story. We will update as information becomes available.
An email titled “A Safe Space for Black Students: Your Voice Matters” from the Center for Race, Equity, and Identity (CREI) was sent to Official Students at 2:58 p.m. on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Juan Hernandez, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Title IX, wrote the email.
The email shares “the recent discovery of another incident involving racist and anti-Black graffiti within our community” and offered a space for Black students “to find solace, solidarity, and support during this challenging time” at the CREI in the Athenaeum that evening.
Dr. Hernandez did not have any additional comments for The Quindecim.
Kent Devereaux, President of Goucher College, sent an email to Official Students, Staff, and Faculty at 5:25 pm later that day.
The email details more information about the racist, anti-Black graffiti on campus, which took place in “two restrooms in Van Meter Hall.” There are no specifics on the exact language used in the graffiti.
In bold typeface, President Devereaux expresses, “I want to make it exceptionally clear that any and all perpetrators will be held accountable to the highest degree of our disciplinary process. Additionally, anyone withholding information will also be held accountable. I strongly condemn these hateful, racist acts.”
According to him, “Campus Safety has removed the graffiti” and they are actively investigating. He provides information on campus support, mentioning the space the CREI holds that evening for Black faculty, staff, and students.
President Devereaux provided the following additional comment to The Quindecim:
“All I would add is that this is especially disappointing. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive campus at Goucher and in large part we have succeeded with a student body that is now 47% BIPOC and an increasingly diverse faculty and staff who have chosen to work and teach at Goucher precisely because of our commitment to these values. Unfortunately, we are not immune to the ills of society so incidents like this disturb us all.”
President Devereaux to The Quindecim
This is not the first time anti-Black vandalism occurred on campus. On the final days of the Fall 2022 semester, targeted and racist graffiti was discovered on Black students’ doors in the Heubeck-Gamble residence hall. This is the second time in the past two school years that anti-Black graffiti occurred on campus.
In 2018, a Goucher student was arrested by Baltimore County police for two incidents of racist graffiti towards Black and Latino students.
The next morning (February 23) at 11:27 a.m., the email “Approved Student Protest Today at 2:30 pm” was sent by the Office of Student Affairs to Official Students, Staff, and Faculty.
Aarika Camp, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Affairs, wrote the email.
The email addresses the Goucher Community and shares that “the Division of Student Affairs has approved a request for the Black Student Stance demonstration scheduled to occur today, Friday, February 23rd at 2:30 pm along Van Meter Highway near the academic buildings.”
Dr. Camp also expresses respect for students’ “right to express their concerns and stand against, bias, racism, and intolerance.”
The demonstration presented possible amplified sound, but students were informed that the amplified sound could not disrupt classes. According to Dr. Camp, Campus Safety was aware of the event and planned to have staff monitoring the Black Student Stance demonstration along Van Meter Highway.
Dr. Camp did not have any additional comments for The Quindecim.
If anyone has information on the racist, anti-Black graffiti, please contact Tiffany Justice, Director of Campus Safety at tiffany.justice@goucher.edu or report anonymously using this Silent Witness form.
The Student Counseling Center is also available as a resource for support. Please schedule an appointment at 410-337-6481. If you need immediate mental health support, please call Goucher’s 24/7 mental health line at 855-236-4278.
