Carver Alumni Confront Racial Discrimination at Predominantly White Institutions

Two students at Gettysburg College were recently suspended from the schools swim team after allegations of a racial slur being scratched onto a students body according to previous reports from CBS news. The incident has sparked larger questions into the frequency of racial discrimination in primarily white institutions across Pennsylvania schools including those in Philadelphia. 

For some carver alumni these incidents reflect on their own experiences at primarily white institutions. Mrs. Moore-Almond, a teacher and alumni of George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, spoke about the significance of the event in modern times. 

“This is the kind of stuff that you expect to see in, you know, 1950’s, 1960’s, 1850’s, 1860’s but we are still here fighting these fights, so it's heartbreaking, actually to see.”

School administrators received "a deeply concerning report of a racial slur being scratched onto a student using a plastic or ceramic tool," officials at the 2,200-student private liberal arts school in Gettysburg said in a statement last week. According to CBS news. 

“I can't imagine what it's like to send my child somewhere for an education, only to literally have them come home after they've been assaulted in such a racially motivated way in 2024” Moore almond said in reaction to the news out of Gettysburg college.

For others including Miss Williams the incident was “very heartbreaking” and said that university didn’t do as much as they could in this process. Although Williams was distressed by the incident it was not surprising to her.

“When I first was applying to college, I thought about going to Gettysburg, and my counselors actually warned me about the area and how, like, they're very racist, and how even to this day, they still gather around because the Gettysburg war,” Williams said.