Three Black SUNY Albany Students Report Being Victims of Racist Violence on City Bus

by Rachael Edwards

Three Black SUNY Albany students report being physically attacked and harassed in a racially motivated altercation Saturday morning on an Albany city bus.

The women say that they were sitting in the back of the bus when a group of 10-12 white students began yelling racial slurs at them. The group made their way to the back of the bus and began to hit, and kick the victims. One of the victims said, she called out for help, but was told to “shut the f*** up” as they continued to assault her.

I just got jumped on a bus while people hit us and called us the "n" word and NO ONE helped us.

— Asha Burwell (@AshaBurwell) January 30, 2016

I begged for people to help us and instead of help they told us to "shut he f*ck up" and continuously hit us in the head

— Asha Burwell (@AshaBurwell) January 30, 2016

Called SUNY police and they didn't even seem concerned, just transferred us to Albany police who told us they should've helped

— Asha Burwell (@AshaBurwell) January 30, 2016

I hope everyone that laughed and recorded this whole experience knows they are considered a bystander which is against the law

— Asha Burwell (@AshaBurwell) January 30, 2016

Times Union reports that after the incident on the bus, they walked to Albany Medical Center to receive treatment for their injuries. The campus police were contacted; however, one of the victims has claimed that the SUNY police did not seem “concerned” about the racially motivated assault.
As of January 30th, SUNY Albany president, Robert. J. Jones, released a statement saying, “The students, who are Black women, stated that racial slurs were used by the perpetrators, whom they described as a group of 10 to 12 white males and females. I am deeply concerned, saddened and angry about this incident. There is no place in the UAlbany community for violence, no place for racial intolerance and no place for gender violence.”

Please see a statement from #UAlbany President Jones regarding last night’s events => https://t.co/c7pDiCC7Zl pic.twitter.com/3TBgpY3vId

— University at Albany (@ualbany) January 30, 2016

Students are standing in solidarity via social media for the three women.

Students at the SUNY Albany campus is planning a rally of support on Monday, February 1st.


Image Credit: Instagram/AshaBWell

Rachael Edwards is an artist of many forms from Baltimore, who blogs, styles folks & uses too many commas. Follow her on Twitter: @rachael_firefly