Fliers from an Arkansas-based hate group were distributed on the Colorado State University campus over the weekend, but there is no indication that students were involved.
“This is a big campus that embraces diversity, and the information in the flier in no way represents the sentiments of the faculty or the staff,” said CSU spokesman Brad Bohlander.
The incident is the latest example that racist organizations are targeting more and more college students in the state, said Hal Mansfield, director of the Fort Collins-based Religious Movement Resource Center. His nonprofit group tracks hate and cult groups across the country.
“We’ve definitely seen an upswing in this type of activity on Colorado campuses lately,” Mansfield said.
The distribution of the fliers coincided with efforts by Mansfield to talk to students and faculty about recruiting efforts by hate organizations.
The fliers indicated they were from White Revolution, a neo-Nazi group from Russelville, Ark. The fliers were found in parking lots around Moby Arena, the engineering building and residence halls.
The fliers mock “Black History Month” and “Black Achievement in White America.”
Billy Roper, chairman of White Revolution, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. But on the group’s website, he wrote about the distribution, saying, “Keep up the good work!”
If the culprits are found, legally they could be charged only with littering, Mansfield said. The fliers didn’t contain any specific threats.
Mansfield said college campuses must have a tougher attitude toward hate groups. “It needs to be a community response,” he said.
The regional Anti-Defamation League decried the efforts of White Revolution.
“ADL is confident the people of Fort Collins will reject its divisive and ugly message as unacceptable and intolerable,” said Bruce DeBoskey, ADL’s Mountain States regional director.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
