An alleged student art installation depicting six rainbow-colored nooses has inspired students to form protests and invoked an investigation from APSU Police.
While some students and university officials found the project offensive, a student says that it was an approved art project.
APSU President Alisa White released a statement on APSU’s Facebook page saying the act was ‘disturbing.’
“This incident is deeply disturbing and is hurtful to our University community,” White said. “Regardless of the intent, the display has no place on our campus. I am saddened, and I am sorry for the hurt and offense this has caused and want our students, faculty, and staff to know that it will not be tolerated.”
Many voiced concerns and posted videos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the project.
APSU NAACP posted the photo shown above, to their Instagram page and captioned it, “So this is at #APSU”
Senior communications major and Vice President of NAACP Amia Butler voiced her concerns about the project saying that LGBT Rights and the Civil Rights Movement are not to be compared.
“I think this highlights APSU’s white community and their ignorant thought processes,” Butler said. “In what way is the LGBT movement and slavery and the Civil Rights Movement of any comparison?”
Comments were posted on Facebook explained it was an art project.
According to the student that did not wish to be named, said it was for an introductory sculpture class. He also said the project was approved by the class instructor. According to a Gov Says email sent at 11:30 a.m., the installation was not approved or reviewed by an instructor. There will also be an open forum at 1 p.m. in the MUC Ballroom to discuss the noose incident.
Please comment and tag us with your thoughts and concerns as this story will be updated accordingly.
SF
The student is a straight white girl, and has voiced negative and misinformed opinions on LGBT and racial subjects in the past, not to say it was inherently malicious. The rainbow colors are unrelated to any LGBT themed intent, though. She said herself that this project was to shock people, and she thought the idea of someone getting upset would be hilarious. She does most of her art projects on serial killers, from what I’ve seen. This is getting out of hand, there was no positive intent and was entirely inappropriate as a public installation.
Karen
Although I do not condone this students lack of judgement I am sick of double standards that are continually applied in our society. As a former student of this school I have experienced open racism on this campus. After a tornado damaged the campus I attempted to take a short cut țhrough the building that housed The Black Student Organization rather that walking all the way around the areas that were damaged. I was stopped by a group of black students who refused to allow me access to this public funded building, telling me that I did not belong there. I didn’t scream racism, but that is exactly what it was. Why is that behavior accepted, but this student’s freedom of speech is immediately shut down because someone perceives that her at is racist? Maybe that was not her intent.