University of South Carolina officials investigate racist signs
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Officials at the University of South Carolina are investigating who placed two flyers blaming black people for the election of Donald Trump as president over photos of historically important black South Carolinians. Multiple media outlets report students found the flyers Tuesday, the day after the holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The flyers were taped over a display case with a glass front outside the offices for the university's African-American studies program. They were placed next to a bulletin board that lists the program's faculty and over a collage of famous African-Americans, CBS affiliate WLTX reports.
Both signs say Mr. Trump was elected because black people voted for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders. The signs refer to black people as "simpletons," "dumb" and "stupid monkeys."
The university said similar flyers were discovered at two buildings, reports WLTX.
University spokesman Jeff Stensland said the flyers "have no place at Carolina," and that university officials are investigating.
"This morning, flyers bearing racist language were discovered in several buildings on campus," the university said in a statement. "This is unacceptable and inconsistent with our institutional values. At UofSC, we strive to create a campus built on the tenets of the Carolinian Creed, inclusivity and respect for all. These racist messages run contrary to who we are as Gamecocks and have no place at Carolina."
Some students who took pictures of the flyers posted them on social media, and they were shared thousands of times, WLTX reports.