It is a matter of fact that racially charged symbols such as swastikas, confederate flags, burning crosses and dangling nooses will always incite anger.

Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, an associate professor of Black Popular Culture at Duke University, argues that some students are strategically placing these hateful objects on campus to gain an academic advantage. “White students know that Black students have a tendency to be distracted by various forms of hate crimes. Those students seeking to gain a competitive edge figure that as long as African-American student are counter-acting hate crimes, they will not be pursing academic endeavors,� Neal says.

Whether the objective is to scare, provoke, intimidate or distract, the use of the noose has been prevalent for centuries and will continue to be as long those responsible for the noose hanging continue to go unpunished, experts say. The identity of the perpetrators responsible for these crimes remains unknown as their actions continue to make headlines. Investigations are still pending.

Whether the culprits are prosecuted or not, one thing remains clear says, Sherrilyn Ifill, author of On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in theTwenty-first Century and professor of law at the University of Maryland School of Law: “There has been this long standing silence about lynching. We now have an opportunity to discuss the history associated with this symbol and why it is particularly odious.�

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