<p>My brother attended UVA from 2001-2004 and he told me that during that time, there were acts committed against minorities, and specifically African American students. They weren’t overwhelming, but they weren’t completely sporadic. However, he said many efforts were made in that period to find ways to improve relations between races. During my time at UVA (2006-08), I can’t think of more than a handful of incidents, some of which may not have even perpetrated by UVA students (things that may have happened on the Corner or closer to downtown).</p>
<p>One of the biggest controversies I can remember would have been the “Ethiopian Food Fight” comic in the Cav Daily. This wasn’t even intended to be racist, as the creator stated it was meant to address the seriousness of African famine. However, the outrage/protest over it resulted in the comic being pulled and the creator being forced to leave his position. </p>
<p>Like Hazelorb stated, racism is a reality, it’s very difficult to avoid instances of it entirely, even at UVA or in the general Charlottesville area. However, I never knew anyone who actively participated in any racist acts, and the people I knew would certainly not have tolerated any racist acts.</p>