Students Plan March to Protest Racial Slurs

Students at Colgate University will hold a public solidarity march today in response to racial slurs on a campus bathroom wall.

The march begins at noon on the Hamilton village green and ends at Alumni Hall, where the graffiti was found last week after Barack Obama's presidential victory.

Charlotte Johnson, college dean, said the racist words brought up a lot of tension and fear that already exists, not only on campus, but in society.

Michael Walden, president of the student group Brothers, said the graffiti incident highlighted lingering racial problems on the campus in Hamilton.

Walden said the goal now is to change the campus environment to be more inclusive and welcoming to everyone.

At a rally on Thursday, college President Rebecca Chopp said the college is committed to diversity.