WARC Statement in Response to Racist Basketball Graphic
WARC Statement in Response to Racist Basketball Graphic On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, a graphic was shared on the Wofford men’s basketball Instagram account after their game against Coastal Carolina University. The graphic featured a Black student-athlete who had been photoshopped to have fried chicken in each of his hands. The post was racist, blatantly offensive, and utilized a stereotype that is well known for its racist undertones. There is no excuse for the creation of this graphic, and the fact that it was created, approved, and posted for thousands to see, exemplifies Wofford’s lack of anti-racism education and action. The post is an alarming signal that there has been no real campus-wide address of the issues, concerns, and trauma of BIPOC students at Wofford College. Following the post, the responses issued by both President Samhat and the Athletic Director, Richard Johnson, only grazed the surface of Wofford’s deep-rooted systemic racism. In President Samhat’s statement to ...