Clemson University may have been named the safest campus in the United States, but it doesn’t mean that hate and bias do not affect the students and faculty here.
Over the past few years, The Tiger has written about several instances of hate and bias that have affected Clemson’s campus and the surrounding area.
White nationalist flyers have been found numerous times, most recently in November 2017. In Fall 2016, several students reported being harassed on-campus due to their race and/or sexuality.
And in April 2016, bananas were found hanging from a banner commemorating African Americans at Fort Hill, being one of several events that sparked a nine-day sit-in at Sikes Hall. During the Sikes Sit-In, multiple students reported being harassed by people driving by as well as on social media.
Those are just a few incidents. We know that there are more stories — your stories — to tell.
That’s why The Tiger is partnering with non-profit newsroom ProPublica as part of their Documenting Hate project. The project is a joint effort among more than 100 news organizations and civil rights groups across the country to collect and verify reports of hate and bias.
While the FBI is required to track hate crimes, its data is incomplete. That’s because the FBI depends on local jurisdictions to report these incidents to them, and reporting is voluntary. In addition, no government agency documents lower-level incidents of harassment and intimidation.
South Carolina is also one of five states without a hate crime statute in its law books. Several bills were introduced in the General Assembly at the beginning of the 2017-18 session in response to the June 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel AME in Charleston. None of those proposals have advanced past committee.
So, how can you help The Tiger track hate crimes and bias incidents? Share your story with us by filling out the form below. Your information will not be shared with Clemson University or law enforcement officials.
After submitting the form, a reporter from The Tiger may follow up with you. You can also contact us by emailing [email protected] or [email protected].
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that tracks hate groups and extremism, recommends that victims and witnesses report hate crimes to law enforcement.
To report a crime to the Clemson University Police Department, call 864-656-2222. To contact the Clemson City Police Department, call 864-624-2000. To report a bias-motivated incident to Clemson University go to http://bit.ly/2slvQP3. Dial 911 in the event of an emergency.
