Oklahoma fraternity racial incident just one of many as campuses grapple with lingering racism

March 24, 2015 photo, University of Maryland student Kayla Tarrant speaks during a town hall meeting about racism in universities and what can be done to stop it, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. Tarrant loves the University of Maryland. But the sophomore campus tour guide says a racist email and photo attributed to her schoolmates makes her reluctant to encourage other black students to enroll “in a place where you feel unsafe and no one cares about you.” “We’re literally begging people to care about our issues,” Tarrant said with tears in her eyes to applause from about 100 students _ blacks, Hispanics, Asians and a few whites _ gathered to discuss the racial climate at the predominantly white, 27,000-student campus. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (The Associated Press)

prev next

In this March 24, 2015 photo, University of Maryland students listen to speakers during a town hall meeting about racism in universities and what can be done to stop it, at University of Maryland in College Park, Md. Conversations like the one at Maryland’s Nyumburu Cultural Center are taking place nationwide as racist incidents continue to pop up at colleges and universities, even though students are becoming increasingly vocal in protesting racism and administrators are taking swift, zero-tolerance action against it. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (The Associated Press)

Graphic shows demographic makeup of U.S. colleges; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm; (The Associated Press)

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – College students and administrators are struggling to deal with racist incidents on campus despite repeated condemnations.

This week alone, Bucknell University expelled three students for making racist comments during a campus radio broadcast, and Duke University said one of its students placed a noose in a tree on campus. Earlier, spray-painted swastikas and nooses were found at the State University of New York's Purchase campus, and a former University of Mississippi student was indicted for tying a noose on the statue of the university's first black student.

National attention turned to the issue earlier this year after a University of Oklahoma fraternity was caught on video singing a racist chant.

University administrators say they are working with students to confront racism, and are punishing perpetrators.