The campuses of vaunted HBCUs Spelman College and Morehouse College have been plastered with signs accusing male students of rape by name. After school officials removed the signs, accusations of a cover-up sparked a protest and growing concerns about the safety of the students.
CBS 46 reports:
Jarring signs were placed throughout the campuses of Spelman and Morehouse College Wednesday, accusing students of rape. Other signs accuse the schools of covering up sexual assaults, and it’s all quickly moved online.
The signs were placed in plastic to protect them from the rain. They said things like, “No More Secrets,” “Morehouse Protects Rapists – Spelman Protects Rapists,” and some of the papers had names of male students and the organizations they are involved with.
Students also braved the rain and lined up outside the campus police station to demand officers take action.
National statistics show one in five women, and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college, but it’s believed 90 percent of those can go unreported.
Spelman College senior Micaela Harris was glad to see the signs.
“It’s very often where victims stay silent and are kept silent, so I think it’s beautiful whoever put those posters down,” says Harris.
ESSENCE adds in its reporting that the campus of Clark Atlanta University was also plastered with the signs and that school officials there also tried to brush the details of the signs under the rug. A hashtag, #WeKnowWhatYouDid, has since been used to carry on the conversation across social media and bring attention to the matter.
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Photo: CBS 46
