Hundreds of Kent State students protest after racist graffiti repeatedly sprayed on The Rock

KENT, Ohio – Hundreds gathered Thursday on Kent State's Risman Plaza for a Black Lives Matter protest prompted by the racist statements painted on "The Rock," a fixture on the campus, with participants voicing their concerns that the campus does not provide a sense of safety among the Black community.

"This is bigger than The Rock. We want Kent State to be a safe space for all of us, and this is a chance for Kent State to grow," protest co-organizer Tory Wenson said. "We're not going to dwell on what happened and we're going to focus on the positive. We need all of you to stand up,"

Organizers estimated about 600 protesters marched from Oscar Ritchie Hall, which houses Kent's Pan-African Studies program and is named for the university's first African-American faculty member, and continued to The Rock at the base of Hilltop Drive, which has served as a canvas for racist statements the past two weeks.

In three cases, messages and symbols in support of the Black community were covered with the words "White Lives Matter" and most recently "Blacks have no home here." The most recent message prompted university officials to issue a statement that they are considering removing the Rock, fencing it off or installing security cameras.

"It's not just a direct result of what happened at The Rock. It's about how Kent State handled it, and how they kept letting it happen to us. I felt like if they really wanted to make a change, and really felt what was happening was impacting us and making their students feel uncomfortable, they would have stopped it from happening three times," protest co-organizer Kamalenn Gillespie said.

While still at Risman Plaza, Wenson said Kent State is dealing with two pandemics — coronavirus and racism — and she addressed the list of demands issued by the student organization Black United Students to President Todd Diacon. The demands, while issued by BUS, were on behalf all students of color, Gillespie said.

The demands include reporting racially motivated incidents through the Flash Alerts system (as the university does for sexual assaults); increased security escorts; having trained mental health professionals respond to mental health crises as opposed to uniformed police officers; and a resolution on Black student safety by the Kent State and city of Kent police departments. BUS is further demanding that the university include an anti-hate clause into the student code of conduct and the expulsion of those who violate it.

Makayla Thomas, who handles BUS public relations, said earlier this week many of the demands affect all students but are felt more acutely by the Black community — and added these issues had been discussed prior to The Rock paintings.

Diacon discussed the demands with BUS's e-board, Vice President of Student Affairs Lamar Hylton, and Interim Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Amoaba Gooden, and said security escorts already have been increased. Hylton, Gooden and Interim Provost Melody Tankersley are leading the university's newly established Anti-Racism Task Force.

"As for the other demands, they have been heard, openly received and are in the process of being executed," BUS tweeted.

Cameran Cunningham, president of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, also addressed protesters Thursday and expanded on BUS's list of demands.

Cunningham noted the university's extensive work in the areas of equity, inclusion and diversity and praised the strength of the Black community, but said, "Work needs to be done. Hate has no home here, but hate exists here."

As the university's first Black organization, Kappa Alpha Psi has a list of 15 demands, including an apology by Diacon, a video statement from Kent State police condemning acts of hate and vowing to protect Black people on campus, more tenured Black professors and the development of a comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum.

The fraternity is also asking for a scholarship fund for African American students, that Diacon and the university endorse reparations to the U.S. government for Black Americans, and a diversity audit of curriculum, employees and salaries.

As marchers wound through campus, about 20 individuals waited for their arrival at The Rock, where about 16 people spoke and protesters became emotional as they related their struggles about being Black on campus, Gillespie said.

She added that the protest was largely peaceful, but there was some unrest when participants felt their concerns were not addressed by Kent City Council members who attended. Gillespie added that protesters were upset by Diacon's absence. The crowd dispersed around 4:30 p.m., after about two and a half hours.

Later in the day, BUS President Tayjua Hines, Undergraduate Student Body President Tiera Moore and Hylton hosted a virtual town hall to address the incidents at the Rock, how to support those who were hurt by the messages and how community members can all contribute to a better future moving forward.

"This is a very tense time and our Black community certainly is reeling from these incidents of hate, particularly at the Rock," Hylton told trustees that morning. "I'm so appreciative of the university and more specifically of our student leaders who have really shown up as partners in this work and who have shared, honestly, candidly, their feelings, how they are made to feel on this campus and calling on the university to do something about it. I'm just inspired by their resolve and resilience and I look forward to continue to work alongside them to make Kent State live up to its purpose."

A second protest and march in the same locations is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m.

The protests are occurring as the university is reporting increased cases of COVID-19 and shortly after banning all university-sponsored events of more than 10 people. Protesters on Thursday generally were masked and practicing social distancing.

"We're doing everything we can to make sure it's safe, but we feel like this problem is much bigger as a social issue. It's so big and so relevant, and we've been fighting for change for years. We go here and we spend our money here just like anybody else, so for that to have happened on the rock, we felt like we had to act. We feel we can promote social distancing and safety and still come together to make a change for our community," Wenson said.

Follow Krista S. Kano on Twitter: @KristaKanoRCedu.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State students hold Black Lives Matter protest after Rock racism