BOULDER – Signs reflecting racial sentiment are causing controversy on the CU Boulder campus. Some attack students based on their race, religion and sexual orientation.
They were created by some student government members who are hoping the signs will inspire students to report any hateful comments made to them.
Close to 70 bias-motivated incidents were reported on the CU Boulder campus this school year.
“They range from people just walking up to their fellow students and insulting them based on their race, religion or ethnicity or a number of other factors,” said Bronson Hilliard, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Media Relations at CU Boulder.
The text written on the posters can be interpreted as being racist. For instance, one reads: Your mom must be a janitor because those are the only jobs for dirty Mexicans. Another reads: “You’re such a pussy, such a fag. You are not even a real man.”
The comments come from actual statements that were made to students over the years.
“There are two main points of the campaign. One of them is to really get more reporting to go on and the second one is to acknowledge that it happens here,” said Magnolia Landa-Posas, a student government member who helped create the posters.
Some students and staff members aren’t thrilled with the posters. Several of them have been torn down. Overall, 400 to 500 posters have been put up.
“I think we knew from the very beginning we were going to get people who agreed and people who didn’t,” Landa-Posas explained.
The posters will remain on campus for another week, until the semester is complete.
“They communicate in a no holds bar, no boundaries kind of way,” Hilliard said.