Officials at New York University (NYU) are condemning a group created on Facebook called “Union of White NYU Students.” The group claims to be “A community for NYU students of European descent.”
On Monday, NYU released a statement saying the group was created by an anonymous person or group of people that has no affiliation with the university.
“There is no such organization as this at NYU,” the school said in a statement. “We call on all parties to contribute thoughtfully and respectfully to the discourse on race and to reject efforts to derail or distort the conversation.”
As of Tuesday morning the group had over 600 members. The page removed NYU’s logo after claiming the school threatened legal action.
NYU has a student population of over 58,000 with Blacks making up 5 percent of the student body. White students make up 35 percent of students and Asians make up 14 percent. Around 9 percent are Latino.
Racism on America’s college campuses has been a focus in recent weeks after Black students at the University of Missouri voiced their outrage over their treatment. Protests and demonstrations have taken place across the nation at schools where Black students say they are not being treated fairly.
White student unions are not a new thing. Similar groups have popped up at other colleges. In 2013, Patrick Sharp made headlines when he started a white student union at Georgia State University. The freshman from Birmingham, Ala. claimed that whites should have an outlet on campus similar to Black students.