September 14, 2017
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Polett Walk near 12th Street on Temple University's campus, Monday, October 5, 2015.
A group of black Temple University students found a banana on the door handle of their dorm this past week in one of two recent "bias-related" incidents at the school.
The Temple News reports that officials with the university's housing department alerted students to the incidents in an email Thursday, referring to them as "inappropriate and arguably discriminatory behavior.”
University Housing and Residential Life and Temple Police are working together to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the incidents, according to the newspaper.
The first banana was found on the door handle outside the dorm where four black students live in Morgan Hall on Monday, and another banana was left outside a room in the building later in the week.
Freshman Halle Ray, who lives in the dorm where the first banana was found, tweeted about the incident, noting that she and her three roommates are the only black girls on her floor.
I go to Temple University, my roommates come back from grocery shopping and see this (we're the only black girls on our floor) pic.twitter.com/sAerWc7oJd
— halcapone✨ (@sincerelyhalle) September 12, 2017
She told The Temple News she wanted to make people aware that "stuff like this does happen," especially for minorities.
“If I wasn’t strong, if I cared about what people thought, it could have become bigger than what it is now," Ray told the newspaper.
The incidents drew condemnation from several campus organizations, including the student government and NAACP chapter.
We stand together in solidarity against any hateful actions on our campus and countrywide. There is zero tolerance for actions such as this. pic.twitter.com/XwxTjc6KA1
— Progressive NAACP (@TEMPLE_NAACP) September 13, 2017
"As a student body, we must condemn such hateful behavior and in the face of adversity, rise above and continue to educate and support each other," Temple Student Government said in a statement.
"We encourage all students to speak up and speak out against racism, white supremacy, and bigotry."
Statement regarding the incident that occurred in Morgan Hall on Monday, September 11th. pic.twitter.com/O4xCP5nmzm
— Temple Student Gov't (@TempleTSG) September 14, 2017
(Information from: The Temple News)
