Hate Mail Prompts Evacuation of Minority Students at Trinity
A series of racially motivated hate letters prompted the evacuation of dozens of minority students off the campus of an evangelical Christian school
A series of racially motivated hate letters prompted the evacuation of dozens of minority students off the campus of an evangelical Christian school on Thursday, April 21, 2005.
Among the 25 percent of minority students at Trinity International University (TIU) in Deerfield, Ill., one Latino and two black students were the target of the anonymous letters circulated through the campus mail over two weeks, reported the New York Times.
According to the officials, close to 200 minority students were encouraged to leave their dormitories when the third letter, including threats of violence, arrived on Thursday -- within days of the anniversaries of the shootings at Columbine High School, the Oklahoma City bombing, and Hitler's birth.
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Police Chief Kevin Tracz said there are no specific leads as to the writer's identity, he believes the letters to have been written by one person, most likely to be a Trinity student.
While declining to detail the length or contents of the letters, he said that there was no connection among the recipients found by the local and federal investigators.
Tracz added that the letters written on notebook papers were being sent to a crime laboratory for analysis.
While the university declined to comment on the details of the threats or when the students would return to their on-campus housing, President Gregory L. Waybright said that they would be able to complete their academic work for the year, reported the NY Times. Reflecting on the event, he said that despite the racial diversity promoted at Trinity, the school failed to protect itself from the "ugliness of an imperfect world."
"Just as the crucifixion led to a resurrection," he said in the afternoon news conference,
"sometimes a challenge like this can help an entity like ours become what it wants to be," Waybright said to the Times.
More than 40 students spent the night at a nearby hotel with a popular African-American administrator, while others stayed with family or friends. Still others, despite the threats, chose to stay on campus.
Dean of Students William Washington described the students attitude as "upbeat, appreciative, and eager for things to get back to normal on campus."
"Our minority students feel a sense of security knowing that their concerns have been seriously addressed by the administrators of the college," Washington said in a statement. "As you know, the physical and emotional well-being of our students is our greatest concern and we are taking every possible step to ensure their safety."
The university, affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America, says in its mission statement that its education is based on "the authority of God's inerrant word, Holy Scripture," and that it seeks an international identity with "people drawn from 'every tribe and tongue.' "
On Friday afternoon, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson met with recipients of the letters as well as other students, professors and parents.
"What is painful to me today is to talk to these students - so young, so beautiful - who feel like a target is on their back because they are black," said Jackson.
"Today their faith is tested in real time. Will they face evil with courage or will they face evil with fear?"
