DAYTON, Ohio — A message board in the student union at an Ohio college, which displayed a menu for Black History Month, has caused some controversy.
The menu, which was removed soon after word of it began circulating on social media, featured a picture of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with the headline “Black History Month” and listed the following items:
- Fried Chicken $3.99
- Mashed Potatoes $1.55
- Collard Greens $1.55
- Cornbread $0.49
Seth Bauguess, head of communications at Wright State University, said a 2014 alumna spotted the sign and Tweeted it.
Bauguess said when he learned about the Tweet, which was seen by another WSU employee, the university responded to the woman.
The university told her it had been taken down, he said, noting the response also read: “We will continue to look into the situation. Thank you and we’re so sorry for the offensive image.”
University dining services manages the board, but the menus are posted through an outside vendor, Bauguess said.
Dr. Kimberly Barrett, vice president of multicultural affairs and community engagement, said, “I think many times, in attempts to be inclusive and to honor diversity, people who might be in the majority community or in communities other than the ethnic groups they’re trying to honor, sometimes get it wrong.
“Inclusion is an ongoing process where we have to continually re-evaluate and move forward. I was thrilled when they decided to remove the sign.”
In the future, Barrett said, “I’m sure they will consult students who are part of the ethnic groups they are trying to honor before they put up a post of a sign.”
Channel 11’s sister station WHIO in Dayton contributed to this report.