Racist Advertisement in The Campus incites protest

Racist Advertisement in The Campus incites protest

Protests, uproar, and calls for The Campus editor-in-chief Lela Moore to resign following the publication of a racist ad in the April Fool's edition of the campus (Issue 96, Volume 19.5, Page 10). In the April 3rd edition of The Campus, an apology was made for the ad that was later deemed insufficient by many members of the community. This incident sparked a campus-wide discussion about racism and bigotry. Ultimately, following a petition from the majority of The Campus staff asking Moore to resign, the SGA voted to not ask Moore to step down from her position. At a forum that was held at McCullough on April 6th, a group of about 40 students and faculty members staged a walkout after a letter was read by Anne Marie Campbell (President of the AAA), that rejected Moore's offer to publicly discuss issues relating to the ad. Protests were held outside of Old Chapel and demonstrators included faculty members and students. The Purpose of the protests was to motivate the administration and the rest of the college community to show support for minority groups and to openly discuss the complicit nature of silence in the face of discrimination.

Volume 96, Number 21

Matt Potenza
Kate Barch

The Campus

04/16/1998

Lela Moore '98- Editor in Chief of The Campus
Anne Marie Campbell '98- President of the AAA

"In the ad, modeled on an existing photo from an ad by the Ad Council, three black men are pictured along with the words 'drug dealer, gang members, rapists, arsonists.' The caption below the ad claims the admissions of these minorities to Middlebury '[adds] life to this sleepy Vermont town.'"