Many University of Louisville students are upset that President James Ramsey cannot promise that the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups won’t appear on campus.
A university-wide forum was held last week to discuss feelings surrounding the appearance of KKK and National Alliance fliers on campus, including vandalism on a campus kiosk. Campus police reported that on Feb. 14, three individuals were seen by two eyewitnesses passing out National Alliance fliers stating, “Love Your Race” on cars parked outside Louisville Hall. Such incidents have many students wondering what steps the university is going to do to prevent future instances.
University student organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have even made demands on behalf of the students, asking the university to ban groups like the KKK from campus.
Student Activities Board diversity chair Cory Young said he fully supports the demands made by the NAACP, including that the university ban groups like the KKK from campus and sever ties with WHAS radio.
“I would say very confidently that 95 percent of the students are with us on this,” he said.
Students such as Bethany Wright, president of the U of L NAACP, and Young cited the university’s relationship to WHAS radio because of past comments made by radio talk-show host Francine Cuncinello after a student’s column appeared in The Louisville Cardinal newspaper was distributed and discussed on-air. The column cited black rapper and public speaker Sister Souljah, who appeared on campus last semester as part of the Bank One Diversity lecture series speakers. It said that if persons like Sister Souljah were allowed to speak on campus then the KKK should request to burn a cross in front of the SAC.
Wright and others pointed to WHAS as the main cause of the current racial tensions on campus, and said that if the university felt serious about protecting the students, they would sever all contractual ties with WHAS radio, which includes broadcasting the university’s basketball and football games.
“At one point, we though it would be better if we just ignored Francine,” Ramsey said. “The more you react to her, the more you’re playing into her hand. It’s disappointing to me that we can let someone like her get to us on issues such as these.”
WHAS radio was unavailable for comment as of press time; however, WHAS radio spokesperson Kelly Carls told The Courier-Journal that he feels the accusations made by students are “preposterous.” Cuncinello also told the Courier “I control the KKK about as much as I control the tides of the ocean.”
University Provost Shirley Willihnganz said the university had already been considering its relationship with the station before students made the demands, however, Wright said she doesn’t feel the support needed from the administration.
“If you’re not with us, you are inherently against us,” Wright said. “If there is no response from the administration on these demands, action will be taken.”
Ramsey and Willinghanz said currently the university cannot legally keep groups like the KKK and the National Alliance off campus.
“As we understand at this moment, we cannot keep them from coming,” Willihnganz said. “What we’d like to say is, ‘No, they can’t come.’ But we’re not sure if that’s legal. If they say they are just coming to pass out fliers, then based on legal advice we have now, they can do that if they give us advanced notice.”
Ramsey told students at the forum that if the groups do appear on campus, they must give advanced notice and stay in a confined area known as the free speech area located outside the Student Activities Center in front of the university bookstore.
“The free speech area was developed for anyone wanting to come on campus, so it wouldn’t be disruptive to academics,” U of L Police Chief Wayne Hall said. “I’d love for [the KKK] to not be able to come on campus. But we have to react to the legal advice given.”
However, some students are very uncomfortable with the idea of having any group like the KKK on campus, no matter what the location.
Junior Darlene Orangias said she thinks because the university is public, it cannot stop groups from coming to campus. However, she personally doesn’t like the idea.
“I don’t want them here,” she said. “But all men and women are created equal. Everyone needs to be treated the same. I guess they should have the opportunity to speak, but I don’t want to be here that day.”
Wright and Young said they weren’t pleased with the response they got from Ramsey and other administrators at the forum, and that they believe there may be organizations on campus that make groups like the KKK feel welcome.
“I was very disappointed by what I heard,” Young said.
However, university administrators said that there have been no connections found between the appearances of the KKK and National Alliance on campus and any campus organizations.
Freshman Brooklyn Rankins, a resident of Unitas Tower, said the administration should absolutely not allow the KKK on campus. She said that as a campus resident, she fears the university will not stand up and say no.
“I live on campus,” she said. “The KKK coming here is like them coming into my own back yard. I don’t want that!”
The list of demands made by the NAACP and other campus organizations will be presented to the student senate tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the Floyd Theatre.
Student Government Association President Michael Sticklen said he can understand why these students want the support of the senate.
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