UNR students protest recurring racism on campus following use of racial slurs targeting Black students

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Students gathered on the Knowledge Center staircase to protest the recurring racism on the University of Nevada, Reno’s campus. The Black Student Organization lead the protest, following a racist incident on April 5th.

“Early in the morning, there was a student, who is now coming forward claiming to be a person of color, was on the seventh-floor yelling slurs which is the Learning Living Community dedicated to students of color.”

“My skin color is not a crime! My skin color is not a crime,” shouted Krystal Watson, a student at the University. “UNR answer our calls, UNR break your silence. Stand against racial violence.”

Students say this is not the first racist incident on campus. “We just want to end the tolerance on campus. This has been an ongoing issue for many many years. It’s not even just about this isolated issue, it’s about the multiple situations that were never dealt with by proper administration,” said Helen Girma, the Co-President of the Black Student Organization. “Our biggest goal here is to just be heard and to put something in place to better support students of color at UNR because we are a part of UNR.”

Black students make up 3.31% of the University’s student demographic, totaling 685 students. Regardless of the low percentage, students on campus want to feel welcome and safe. “We don’t want to live in a dorm hall where we eat, sleep or are away from our families and hear these slurs being said about us. That’s not what UNR is about,” said Virchelle Banks, the Co-President of the Black Student Organization. “They create this atmosphere of how diverse it is, and they talk to us and they listen to us. But it just feels like nothing is being implemented to help these issues or prevent these issues from happening.”

Leslie Becerra is a Hispanic student at the University. She said she faces challenges when trying to fit in. “Feeling worthless. I feel stupid sometimes when I have to speak out and speak my mind but it’s something that needs to be said and needs to be done.”

“I’m tired,” said Bank, who believes racism extends beyond campus. “Growing up in Reno. It’s not just a University thing. It’s an issue that our country’s history has been trying to fight for years. Reno as a community is a bigger problem than just on this campus.”

President Brian Sandoval released a statement on April 12 regarding the situation.

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