Content Warning: This article contains references to hateful language directed toward minority groups.
Students discovered graffiti across Oxford College’s Hearn Nature Trail on Oct. 27. The vandalism consisted of “KKK” written in white paint on trees and monuments, the letters “FU” in the Serenity Circle along the nature trail and the defacement of former Oxford Professor of Religion Hoyt Oliver’s (54Ox, 56C) memorial. On Oct. 28, the Emory Police Department said they were investigating the incident and working to identify the individuals responsible for the vandalism. However, days after the event, the incident continues to raise concerns among Oxford students.
Adam Ruhde (26Ox) was among the first to report the vandalism. He walked the nature trail twice on Oct. 27, once at 12:45 p.m. and then around 5 p.m. Ruhde noted he saw no graffiti during his earlier walk.
Ruhde emphasized that he thought this act of vandalism was despicable.
“Someone went out there with the courage and the audacity to do that in broad daylight, and that’s just disgusting,” Ruhde said.
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Badia Ahad, who was serving as Oxford dean until Nov. 1, and Senior Associate Dean of Campus Life Darleny Cepin condemned the original vandalism in a campus-wide email on Oct. 28, calling the markings “hateful” and not reflective of our community.
In their Oct. 28 statement, Ahad and Cepin also mentioned that the University removed the graffiti. However, reporters from The Emory Wheel confirmed that markings reading “KKK” remained as of Nov. 3.
Oxford Student Government Association (OxSGA) Culture and Engagement Committee Chair Milin Kumar (26Ox) acknowledged Oxford’s historical role as a hospital for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, but said the context did not change much about the nature of the incident. The nature trail leads past a cemetery with the remains of Confederate soldiers.
“It doesn’t really affect me on how I view this incident, because this is just a hate crime,” Kumar said. “Either way, regardless of past historical context, it needs to be condemned, and this is a place for people to feel safe.”
Oxford’s African Caribbean Student Union Treasurer Theogracia Alese (26Ox) framed this incident within the current political climate, noting it feels like the world is “regressing” from previous work against discrimination.
“Systemic racism is still a big problem we need to combat with stuff like this coming to Oxford directly,” Alese said. “There definitely needs to be things done to combat everything going on because it’s definitely a very tense time.”
During their Oct. 29 meeting, OxSGA passed a resolution denouncing hate speech on campus. OxSGA sent the resolution as an email to Oxford’s student body, in which they “unequivocally and wholeheartedly” condemned “this despicable and hateful act.”
“Every student deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported at Emory,” the email read. “We commit to advocating for immediate and transparent action from the Emory Police Department, including a thorough investigation of the incident and proactive measures to prevent future acts.”
Furthermore, the statement called on the University’s leadership to “commit to continuing support of our underrepresented and marginalized students, as well as remaining committed to advancing the work of the Twin Memorial Project, which seeks to address Emory’s involvement in enslavement.”
The statement concluded by praising the efforts of campus facilities teams in cleaning up the graffiti and providing support resources, encouraging students to promote accountability and inclusivity in the community.
OxSGA President Jack Steffen (26Ox) condemned the act and emphasized that the actions were “diametrically opposed” to Oxford’s values.
“Hateful acts will never be tolerated in our community,” Steffen said.
Steffen emphasized OxSGA’s role in supporting the Oxford community after the incident.
“SGA is definitely taking a stand on this,” Steffen said. “We passed a resolution last night during our meeting, so we’ll be sending out a statement to the student body just offering support resources, explaining how things go from here as best we can.”
If you or someone you know experienced hateful language or slur use, you can call the Emory Police Department at (404) 727-6111 or reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 or https://counseling.emory.edu/. You can reach the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 614-6544 and the Lines for Life Racial Equity Support Line from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at (503) 575-3764. You can reach the Trevor Project’s LGBTQ crisis support services 24/7 by calling +1 (866) 488-7386, texting 678-678 or visiting https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/.
Kimble Schiller (she/her) (26Ox,28C) is from Houston, Texas and is majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law. Outside of the Wheel, she can be found studying, hiking, writing for fun, or spending time with friends.
