The NAACP is asking for a meeting with the President of the UNC system after receiving what they call a "tepid" response from NC State officials about the painting of racist remarks in the University tunnel after Barack Obama won the national election.

Read Students' Apologies

Police said Nov. 5 that someone painted a threatening message about president-elect Barack Obama in the tunnel, where students are encouraged to speak their minds.

Details about the comment in the Free Expression Tunnel were not released, but at least one student said it suggested Obama be shot and referred to him with a racial slur. The University painted over the words after the incident.

The college later said that four students were responsible for painting the threats, but their names were not released. The U.S. Secret Service and Wake County District Attorney's Office investigated, but determined there were no immediate threats and the writing was on a place that encourages free speech.

Last week, the leaders of the NAACP Branch at NC State and other student groups met with Chancellor Oblinger. They had five requests:

• Increase visible proof of increased security and a sense of safety for all NC state students.
• Help support "Hate Bills" in the Student Legislature, to make hate crimes and hate speech punishable by a minimum of expulsion by the University and law enforcement.
• Punish the students who committed these acts of hate, with the minimum being their expulsion from the University.
• Clearly define "hate speech" in an explicit, well-publicized University policy that makes clear such actions will result in expulsion and possibly even stronger sanctions for those who engage in them (by Dec. 31, 2008)
• Diversity Class: Strengthen the mandatory diversity course by making it part of the Freshman curriculum and awarding more credits for it, such as with the alcohol education class.
  

In a press release Tuesday, the North Carolina Conference of more 120 adult and youth/college NAACP Branches across the state said they are "outraged by the acts of four students at N.C. State University in Raleigh who wrote "KKK" and "Kill the N....shoot him in the head" on a University wall.

"We are equally outraged by the tepid response of top University administrators to the acts of hate, and the reasonable requests made by their students," the NAACP said in the release. "Their decision to permit four students, with race-hatred spilling out of their hearts, to continue taking classes and engaging in social affairs on campus, by definition creates a racially hostile learning environment for students of color. Our children should not be in an environment where they are afraid of death threats for showing their support for President-Elect Obama. They should not wonder whether the white student sitting next to them in class is a member of the group responsible for race-based threats."

The group says is will take four actions on the county, state and national levels to handle the threats.

• Organize a Unity Rally on NC State Campus shortly after the Thanksgiving Break, to make clear the strong support for the Student's Demands.
  
• The group is also asking for a meeting with the Wake County District Attorney, to gain information about why he believes the present hate crime statutes do not cover this act. We will take this information to the N.C. Legislature as part of our 14-Point People's Agenda that will be rolled out again on the NAACP's 100th Birthday.
  
• Third, on the state level, the group is asking for a meeting with the President of the UNC System, to communicate directly to him our concern about the apparent lack of policy and aggressive action regarding hate crimes and acts on at least some of the 16 campuses in the system.
  
  "We believe that Erskine Bowles should set up a conference with all 16 campuses represented, to discuss the fact that North Carolina taxpayers expect their taxes to pay for educational settings, faculties and staff dedicated to making all students feel safe in learning new ideas. No race-based threats of violence against African Americans or other people of color can be tolerated in the campus-wide zones of free expression."
  
• Finally, on the Federal level, the group will ask "the National NAACP and our N.C. congressional representatives to strengthen the enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides for cutting off federal funds to educational institutions that practice or tolerate racially discriminatory educational practices. We also will ask our National leadership to help us convene meetings with the collegiate oversight organizations, such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to join with the NAACP in stamping out these hate-filled acts in our schools."
  

The tunnel was built in 1939, and donated to free speech in the 1960s.

Related Links

1. Related Story: Anti-Obama Message Painted In N.C. State Tunnel
2. Related Story: NAACP Demands Changes After Graffiti At N.C. State
3. Related Story: N.C. State Faces NAACP's Deadline