Cops Called on Black College Student Who Was Eating Quietly

An unidentified employee called the cops on a black student at Smith College who was quietly eating her lunch while taking a break from her job on the Northampton, Massachusetts, campus. The Boston Globe reports Thursday that the student has since posted about her ordeal on Facebook, and is now leading the charge to identify the person who called the police to report “a suspicious black male” who “seemed out of place.” “I am blown away at the fact that I cannot even sit down and eat lunch peacefully,” she wrote. “I did nothing wrong, I wasn’t making any noise or bothering anyone. All I did was be black.” Smith College has since defended the woman, noting there was “nothing suspicious about the student’s presence,” and that the school “does not tolerate race- or gender-based discrimination in any form.” A spokesperson added that “Such behavior can contribute to a climate of fear, hostility and exclusion that has no place in our community.” The school has declined to release the name of the caller, however, noting that it would violate school policy.