Bias Incidents: National & LocalBias Local

By Matt Serrano Last updated Aug 31, 2023

Hey St. Lawrence! Written on Whitman Hall, where the bias incident took place. PHOTO CREDIT: MAGGIE BEDNAZ ’26

According to the Gun Violence Archive, this year, there have been 476 mass shootings as of August 28. This is an average of 1.98 mass shootings every day this year. While we are seldom personally connected to such events, bias incidents like this most recent shooting happen everywhere. On Aug. 23, the St. Lawrence University campus experienced its own bias incident, with a racial slur written in chalk outside a first-year dorm.

In Jacksonville, Florida, a gunman targeted Black shoppers and employees of a Dollar General. The attack resulted in two patrons and an employee dying, along with the gunman, who fatally shot himself afterward. Both weapons used in the attack, an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, were purchased legally, according to Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters. The attack, which took place on August 26, is being investigated federally as a hate crime.

During the attack, the gunman ordered patrons out of the Dollar General, most of which were white. Furthermore, the gunman did not shoot at a white patron within the store during the attack, said the sheriff. Later, over 20 pages of racist writing were found on the gunman’s personal computer.

In the week before the attack, a Jacksonville city council committee removed funding for a chief of diversity and inclusion. When the position was originally created by Mayor Donna Deegan, it was a first for the city. Speaking at a vigil after the attack, State Senator Tracie Davis said, “We have three people who are dead because they are Black.” She went on to say, “The legislature did this,” in reference to laws that hadn’t been passed to attempt to stop attacks on Black people.

On campus last Wednesday, a bias incident was reported by student leaders outside of Whitman Residence Hall. An offensive and derogatory term was found written in chalk twice on the sidewalk. The school is currently investigating, and The Bias Incident Reporting team has been alerted to the incident. When asked how they felt about what happened, Cameron Folli ‘27 said, “I mean, honestly, that’s disgusting.”

When asked if he thought one email sent out by SLU adequately communicated what happened, George Gowdy ’23 said, “I’m not sure most students check their email.” When asked about the incident, Cameron Folli ’27 said, “I didn’t even know it happened.” Folli also expressed that “It’s crucial to continue to talk about the issue.” This calls into question the effectiveness of the communication of SLU administration regarding this bias incident and how future incidents will be handled.

In addition to the email, SLU also held a forum with select campus leaders regarding the incident on August 30. Student leaders called for more information regarding the incident and more transparency from the administration. SLU can learn from what happened in Jacksonville by ensuring that adequate resources are available prior to bias incidents in order to prevent them. Students and faculty can look at their email for an email sent by the Executive Secretary of Student Life for resources and support surrounding the incident.