Black Collegians schedule rally in response to incidents

The Alliance of Black Collegians has announced plans for a rally, which will begin at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Memorial Bell Tower on the Northwest campus. From the bell tower, rally participants will walk to the Charles Johnson Theater in the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building, where they will listen to several speakers.

ABC president Brent Rice said the rally’s purpose is to address racially centered events involving Northwest students that occurred during the fall 2007 trimester.

Northwest President Dean L. Hubbard is expected to attend, Rice said, as are representatives of the University’s African-American and multicultural communities.

Last fall, two Northwest students attending separate parties off campus dressed in costumes depicting imprisoned former NFL quarterback Michael Vick and an unknown suspect, described as an African-American man, who allegedly fired shots in a campus parking lot following a Homecoming night social.

The costumed students, both white, belong to Greek-letter organizations with chapters at Northwest. Following an Office of Student Affairs investigation, the men were reprimanded for disregarding Interfraternity Council (IFC) and local chapter codes of conduct. In addition, the fraternities were brought before Northwest’s IFC Judicial Board, which implemented a number of sanctions.

Actions ordered by the board include bringing a multicultural speaker to Northwest at the conclusion of next fall’s Greek recruitment period; performance of 200 hours of community service; internal educational sessions for members; and the issuance of written apologies to the IFC, Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Northwest Student Senate and Northwest President Dean L. Hubbard.

Further sanctions by the national organizations with which the chapters are affiliated may be forthcoming as well.

Rice said the rally is also being held to call attention to other recent incidents with racial overtones, including a so-called “white trash bash” at a local tavern and a fatal shooting at a Maryville restaurant. The alleged killer, now in custody, is Hispanic, as was the victim.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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