Ray calls on universities to purge their archives
Liz Bowie, writing for The Baltimore Sun, reports on racist images in yearbooks that have given Maryland’s colleges and universities cause for reflection. However, these photos of blackface, nooses, and KKK robes are not surprising according to Faculty Associate Rashawn Ray: “Why do we keep acting shocked at the level of racism that is embedded in our cultural fabric?”
The going over of the past came when Virginia politicians faced pressure to resign after admitting that they either had worn blackface or had participated in racist behaviors. As a consequence, pages of university and college yearbooks have come to light showing racist attitudes in pictures depicting college life.
Ray called for universities and colleges to “purge” their archives to acknowledge the past and make a plan to move forward. He concluded, “Part of why this keeps happening is because a lot of people tend to think racism is a thing of the past. . . . Racism is very much alive and well and is a pillar that holds America up.”