CALIFORNIA, February 17  —  University campuses in this state have erupted against the racism sparked by a racist “Compton cookout party” that mocked black history month. The so-called “Cookout” urged all participants to wear chains, cheap clothes and speak very loudly. Female participants were encouraged to be “ghetto chicks.”

Students at UC San Diego led the way with a series of protests and walkouts condemning the “cookout.” Days later a noose was hung in the school library and more protests  erupted.

Thus far, the anti-racist campaign has spread to other colleges in the UC system. At UC Irvine demonstrating students were arrested after a sit-in at the Chancellor’s office against racism and the budget cuts that face the entire California system. Students at UC Berkeley rebelled against the budget cuts. Many other campuses experienced racist incidents and students have responded with mass protests and related actions.

Many students are linking the racist “cookout” to the decreasing number of black students enrolled each year in the California university system, now down to 2% — victimized by the ending of affirmative action and the lower income resulting from racist unemployment and skyrocketing
tuition costs.