Boulder – A University of Colorado student-government leader received a racist, profanity-laden e-mail Wednesday that threatened her life if she runs for student government again.
The e-mail – sent to tri-executive Mebraht Gebre-Michael, who is black – has sparked an investigation by campus police and renewed concern over race relations at CU.
“I just want students to wake up and know that (incidents) like this go on all the time,” Gebre-Michael said of her decision to make the message public. “It is just heartbreaking and disappointing that students like this can set back all our efforts.”
The e-mailer used epithets and several racial slurs including the n-word and “monkey.”
The e-mail encouraged Gebre-Michael and her black friends to “disappear off our campus” and said, “I don’t make empty threats.”
The e-mail was sent from a student account, but Gebre-Michael said she assumes someone forgot to log off and a different person used the student’s e-mail to hide his or her identity.
CU police Lt. Michell Irving said the e-mail was sent from a computer in the campus University Memorial Center. She said investigators are taking the incident “very seriously.”
CU and Boulder have dealt with high-profile racial incidents since at least spring, when visitors attending a black-student government conference reported being badgered. Last summer, CU student Andrew Sterling’s jaw was broken by a man he said was shouting racial slurs at him.
The incidents prompted stern responses from CU and the city, which formed the Citizens United Against Hate committee.
Bill Cohen, a committee member, said he was concerned about the violent tone. “I can’t tell you how upset I am,” he said. “Unfortunately, it reinforces my perception of what has been happening. It isn’t that there are so many of these, but the nature of them is escalating.”
Gebre-Michael is an active member of the committee as well as other campus groups including the Black Student Alliance. She said she has seen how hard the campus and city officials work toward tolerance. Still, she said there are many similar incidents that go unreported.
Interim chancellor Phil DiStefano condemned the e-mail and urged anyone with information to contact police.
“I am extremely disturbed to learn of a racist message e-mailed recently to one of our student leaders at CU-Boulder,” he said. “Such hate-filled words do not reflect the values of this campus community. When any member is attacked with such a vicious message, we all are attacked.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
