Brent Campbell, a senior at UNC Wilmington, was verbally assaulted with threats and racial epithets by a group of whites in a pickup truck while working out at the University’s track and field. Campbell wrote a letter to the school’s chancellor, Gary Williams, after the verbal assault. In the letter, he explained the incident:
“While training on the Intramural fields at around 3 p.m. in front of New Hanover gym a blue pickup truck with 5 white male students drove past me. As they slowed down for the speed bumps they began to yell threats and abuse: “Go home, you f—ing Nigger!” “If we see you here again we’ll beat your f—ing nigger ass!” “What are you doing here, you f—ing coon?” They shouted threats and abuse as they drove past. I kept my composure and simply continued on with my workout. 5 minutes later the men came back, less 3 members. The driver and his passenger shouted more abuse for a while and ended with this statement: “My name is (removed) and if we see you here again we’ll stomp your Nigger ass!”
I was moved to write this blog post because of Campbell’s letter to the school’s chancellor. I thought his suggestion of the action that should be taken against the perpetrators was admirable and worthy of being highlighted:
I was told that if the owner of the vehicle, this (removed), could be found he would be expelled. I write this letter for him too. (removed) and his friends aren’t the problem here. I can’t be angry at them. They are a product of their environment. Somewhere in their homes, in their schools, in their churches even, they were taught this. They were taught to hate. Expulsion would be the easy fix but it wouldn’t be the solution. The problem is that they have never been in community with black people before. He has only ever seen me, he has never known me. If he knew me, truly knew me, he would have never done those things. I know he wouldn’t. If he were found I would ask that his punishment be to get to know me. He should be forced to meet with me once a week for a month over lunch or dinner. That isn’t an empty suggestion to sound caring or altruistic. I mean that. I mean it down to my core. The reality is that knowledge and love have the power to change a heart more readily than discipline or punishment. If he could see my eagerness to forgive him, if he could come to know my struggles here at this school, if he could get a glimpse of the person that I am….he would find, in all of that, the solution. That is how you change a heart. That is how we could grow to become a unified campus. That is how UNCW could come to achieve authentic racial reconciliation.
For Campbell’s complete letter, click here.
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