Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

University condemns racist imagery in yearbooks

STAFF REPORT

Miami University News and Communications released a statement Wednesday condemning the racism and hate displayed in old yearbook photos -- images brought to light by The Student in a Feb. 26 story.

The statement reads:

"At Miami University we are appalled at the reprehensible, racist photos found in our yearbooks and revealed in the February 26 Miami Student newspaper. These bigoted and offensive photos have no place at Miami -- neither then nor now - and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms. These photos call us, individually and as a community, to decry racism and hate, to vow to respect diversity and to be inclusive of everyone in our community.

At Miami, we stand in "Love and Honor"; it is not just a motto. It is a firm statement of our values, beliefs, and unequivocal condemnation of hatred, racism, bigotry, violence, intimidation, and any other attempt to divide us.

As a community, we have taken many university actions that are intended to help us value and celebrate each other. Some of these actions include mandatory diversity, inclusion and bias training for new employees and students; multi-cultural programs; community input through a campus climate survey and open forums; and a strategic planning process that has diversity and inclusion as a central component to all that we do.

We cannot change the past, but we can impact the present and future. As a campus community, we must move forward together and never waiver in our commitment to diversity and inclusion"