Black Gonzaga students report racial harassment, calling university response disappointing

Black students at Gonzaga University faced racial slurs and theft of property Saturday following a Harlem Renaissance-themed dinner and dance, student organizers said on social media.

“Members of the black student union were disrespected throughout what was supposed to be a celebration of them and all their work they put into the dinner,” said the Sunday post, signed by union president Daija Joy. “We were hoping to have a good time celebrating US, but the constant disrespect ruined the night and is not acceptable.”

Hours after The Spokesman-Review contacted the university, Gonzaga President Katia Passerini released a statement to faculty, staff and students Tuesday night. Passerini said the university “received reports of racially insensitive comments, including anti-black sentiment.”

“We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment,” Passerini’s statement reads. “As a community, we can and must do better than this. Let us continue to be a place grounded in love, guided by justice, and united in care for one another.”

The Black Student Union posted screenshots of responses to their statement uploaded to the anonymous commenting platform Fizz. The comments included that “the thieves are probably in the BSU” and suggested that a reportedly stolen debit card was actually an EBT card.

University administration blocked Fizz from the school’s IT network and sent a letter to the company “expressing our concerns.”

Fizz is an online platform that allows anonymous public comments and is used mostly by college students to discuss campus activities. But some students, including on the Rice, Amherst and George Washington University campuses, have said Fizz fuels racism, hate speech and cyberbullying. Fizz operates independently from universities, advertising that it trains student moderators and uses artificial intelligence tools and community standards policies to limit abusive comments.

Black Student Union member Rajane Edwards told the Black Lens that while she did not witness everything directly, she was told by multiple people that white and Asian women had attended the Harlem Renaissance dinner to “shop for Black men.” At least one of the Black female students had fetishizing comments made toward her by fellow attendees, including about her hair.

“When you talk about a Black person, first, you don’t do that,” Edwards said. “It kind of got strange after a while.”

During an off-campus afterparty, Edwards said that students reported a stolen jacket and someone saying a racial slur.

“Our president said, ‘Hey, we need to cut the celebration because I heard someone say the N-word. We cannot do this,’ ” Edwards told the Black Lens. “Some people were very dismissive.”

At least half a dozen student organizations, including the International Student Union, the religious studies and communications departments, and the Hawai’i Pacific Islander Club, posted statements in solidarity with the Black Student Union following their initial post.

University spokesman Dan Nailen said via text and email correspondence Wednesday that Gonzaga had no more information to share. He said that there was no report filed through the campus security and public safety office, but he added that “the appropriate campus offices are investigating to ascertain the facts and take disciplinary action where warranted, in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct.”

“We continue to provide support services to our students,” he wrote. “Any type of harassment or discrimination is against the values Gonzaga holds as an institution and will not be tolerated.”

On Wednesday, the Black Student Union posted an additional statement in response to the president, saying that while they recognize the acknowledgment, the student board is “severely disappointed with the timing and substance” of the response – specifically with the lack of “clear accountability for the ongoing failures within the Gonzaga community.”

“These failures exist whether there is an anonymous app in use or not,” the statement said. “For many students, including international, first generation and other underrepresented populations, this reflected realities that are too often experienced but less often acknowledged.”

Black Student Union officials did not respond to Spokesman-Review requests for comment.

Edwards told the Black Lens that racism on campus did not feel new, citing hate speech vandalism on campus and concerns about campus security’s interactions with cultural clubs.

“I remember being the only Black girl in my dorm, and they always tore my name off my door and left it in pieces multiple times,” she said.

The Spokane branch of the NAACP sent a message to Gonzaga Tuesday, stating that the university’s mission statement should be revised to “ensure that those who choose to promote hate under the veil of religious freedom are informed that hate has no home here.”

“With local legislation canceling events that celebrate the resilience and freedom of Black Americans, such as Juneteenth, it is imperative that we do not yield to ignorance,” the message reads. “We urge you to demonstrate, through clear and immediate action, that anti-blackness will not be tolerated at your institution.”

The union statement said that students remain “hopeful for a direct response and to begin personal engagement and an ongoing conversation with university administration to address safety concerns and outline meaningful next steps.”

“Our intent is not to divide, but to ensure that the values outlined in Gonzaga University’s mission are fully realized in practice,” it reads. “We believe that together this university can continue to grow into a place where every student feels respected, protected and valued.”

The Black Lens, a partner of The Spokesman-Review in the Comma Community Journalism Lab, first reported this story.