ABSTRACT
The rise of social media has resulted in increased awareness of racialized incidents at the national, state, and local levels. The nation’s current racial climate is reflected on college campuses, especially predominantly White institutions (PWIs), which has created heightened tensions among different campus constituents. This chapter will discuss the ripple effect that national incidents have on college campuses. In particular, this chapter will examine how a long-standing history of racism in society has caused turmoil at one PWI. Racist incidents occurring nationally and on campus resulted in a series of protests and demonstrations led by students of color over a two-year period. This chapter will explain how the institution responded to the racist incidents as well as the protests. Moreover, this chapter will discuss the impact of national and local incidents on individuals, the institution, and the community. Lastly, this chapter will discuss the lessons the institution learned and how the institution has implemented strategies to address a negative racial campus climate.
