Racism on Campus
In examining the University’s historical relationships with its Black community, our campus research must consider the impact and manifestations of the sin of racism. Below are materials from the archives on episodes of racism, hate crimes, and racially-insensitive activities on campus. Resources on these events and groups are added as they are discovered, and our research is ongoing to better understand and recognize episodes of moral failure in our history. These efforts draw on notions of “moral memory” – the collective and moral act of remembering – and “metanoia” – a process of individual and community-based change, spiritual transformation, and renewal.
Statement on Harmful Content
The University of Scranton Archives makes the historical materials in this online archive publicly available. The materials in this collection reflect a variety of viewpoints on social, political, and intellectual issues of the past. Some of the materials contain negative and/or discriminatory stereotypes, language, or symbols aimed at individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, social class, or religion, etc. The University of Scranton Archives does not condone these viewpoints, and we recognize that this material may be emotionally triggering.
We make these materials available to the community, without redaction or abridgment, to avoid altering or suppressing the historical record. We believe that providing access to and supporting engagement with historical documents, including those that may be offensive, is critical for understanding history. We hope that, by sharing this history, we can amplify previously silenced voices and advance racial inclusion and equity on our campus.
