Redefining Not on our Campus for the modern age

In the 1950s, the phrase Not on our Campus meant something completely different than it does now.

Then, black students attending predominantly white institutions faced harsh opposition and violence in forging an equal opportunity to receive education. Although the Brown v. Board of Education case declared that segregated schools were unconstitutional in 1954, the transition of desegregating the classrooms was met with a lot of resistance and roadblocks.

Back in the day, Not on our Campus meant no to black people and yes to separate but equal. But it took the courage of black students to make that extraordinary difference for generations to come.

Elon University has its own unique black history. In 1963, a brave woman by the name of Glenda Phillips walked on the Elon campus as the first full-time black student. Eugene Perry was the first black student to graduate from Elon College in 1969.

Phillips and Perry were able to break the racial barrier at Elon at a time when many white people across the country were expressing their disinterest for desegregation. Breaking that barrier on campus did not mean shattering racism.

A few weeks ago, two incidents on Elon's campus brought feelings of discomfort and distaste to the entire Elon community, widening the gap of racial misunderstanding. On Sept. 7, white males driving in a BMW called a black student, who was crossing the street at night, the N-word. Two days later, the same racial slur was said to another black student. This time, it was a white male in a white truck.

Sadly, these two incidents may only be a small percentage of the racial discriminations that occur on campus. The only difference is that these two were reported.

But something good actually came out of these disgraceful incidents. Thanks to the students who reported the cases, Elon started the Not on our Campus campaign, which expresses a common commitment toward inclusion and respect for one another. This message is extremely appropriate,  considering the incoming Class of 2015 is the most diverse class in Elon's history.

For a university promising to have an unprecedented commitment to diversity, the Not on our Campus stickers, discussions and discussion boards are a good first step. What comes next will help determine if the campus climate has the ability to change for the better — free of discrimination once and for all. Now that's something Phillips and Perry would be proud to witness.