‘Welcome White Week' Flier Parodies 'Welcome Black Week' At Northern Kentucky University, Sparks Outrage

Northern Kentucky University is currently investigating the source of fliers that were seen around campus mocking "Welcome Black Week." It is believed to be a parody and not a legitimate event.

In a collated report by The Washington Times, it was revealed that about fifty students and faculty, including President Geoffrey Mearns, met on Tuesday to discuss the unauthorized fliers announcing "Welcome White Week." The fliers were also posted this week in the Student Union.

The parody fliers advertised on-campus events such as "White Lives Matter vs. Black Lives Matter," "Pizza Party for Tolerance" and "L.G.B.T.Q.R.S.T.U.V. and You." This is an attempt to ridicule the school's annual "Welcome Black Week."

University spokesperson Amanda Nageleisen noted that the flier did not go through the official approval process of the school. Moreover, the student organization that was named on the document is not active or registered with the institution.

According to NKU's student newspaper, The Northerner, a student-led peaceful protest took place on Tuesday, 6 p.m., in the Student Union Plaza. Junior student James Johnson, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said that part of the protest was to address the "Welcome White Week" flier.

"The ignorance that stands on NKU's campus is no longer acceptable," he said. "It's starting to become deliberate. Just like this person who deliberately copied our flier."

Welcome Black Week took place last Aug. 29 to Sep. 2. It is sponsored by African American Programs and Services.

"We worked hard for Welcome Black Week in response to the lack of representation in the universal programs within Welcome Week, and we can even go back to homecoming," Johnson added. "It's like a cause and effect. So the reason they did this [posted the "Welcome White Week" flyer] was because we had Welcome Black Week."

BuzzFeed noted that NKU President Geoffrey Mearns thanked protesters for their response. "You've responded in the best way of the character of the people here and the character of this institution," he told students.