Article Lead Image

Noose found on Duke University campus prompts outrage

Duke students are voicing their fear and anger on Twitter and YikYak.

 

Dylan Love

IRL

Posted on Apr 1, 2015   Updated on May 29, 2021, 4:29 am CDT

Last Tuesday night, Duke University once again found itself the target of intense media scrutiny after a noose of yellow rope was found hanging from a tree on campus. 

Although the noose was later removed, photos of it began circulating on campus last Tuesday. The university took the initial steps to make students on campus feel safer by sending a mass email informing them of the incident. 

Larry Moneta, Vice President of Student affairs, sent a message to students denouncing the stunt. He called it a “hateful and stupid act,” saying that he “can’t begin to describe the disgust and anger I felt, and still feel” toward the perpetrator. 

The noose is completely dominating the conversation on the geolocation-based social network YikYak. While some students appear to be enraged by the incident, others appear to think it’s not such a big deal. 

Screenshot

Screenshot

Screenshot

Screenshot

Screenshot

Screenshot

The Twitter talk is similar. Some Duke students are disillusioned with what they perceive to be the administration’s weak response to the incident. Others think the noose sighting highlights the issue of systemic racism on the Duke campus.

https://twitter.com/Bethany_Sykes/status/583247332021518336

https://twitter.com/CandiceBenbow/status/583234207599738880

On Wednesday afternoon, a crowd of 300 people, including some members of the college’s Black Student Alliance, marched across campus chanting, “We are not afraid. We stand together.”

H/T WRAL | Photo via Duke PoC Caucus/Twitter

Share this article
*First Published: Apr 1, 2015, 3:40 pm CDT