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200 PROTEST PAPER'S CARTOON-THE DAILY PROGRESS, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007

Posted: Thursday September 6, 2007

200 Protest Paper’s Cartoon
‘Ethiopian Food Fight’ offends students

By Brian McNeill / bmcneill@dailyprogress.com | 978-7266
September 6, 2007

Nearly 200 University of Virginia students held a sit-in Wednesday night outside the Cavalier Daily, UVa’s student-run newspaper, to protest what they said was a racist comic strip.

The strip, published in Tuesday’s edition, depicted nine nearly naked black men fighting each other with sticks, stools, boots and a pillow. Its caption reads: “Ethiopian Food Fight.”

“Of course it offends me,” said Mihael Shawel, a fourth-year engineering major who is from Ethiopia. “I can draw some cartoon making fun of white people or Americans, but I wouldn’t do that. Responsible adults don’t do that.”

The comic, attributed to student Grant Winfield Woolard, sparked outrage across UVa among black students, faculty and administrators. Woolard did not return a call for comment Wednesday night.

It is not the first time that Woolard’s work has ignited a furor at UVa. In August 2006, he authored two strips that many said mocked Christians. In the wake of that controversy, the newspaper implemented a new editorial policy for its comics page to prevent offensive strips in the future.

Cavalier Daily Editor in Chief Herb Ladley, a fourth-year linguistics major, said running the cartoon was an error.

“It was a mistake,” said Ladley, who has been editor since January. “That’s something we’ve said since Day 1,” he said of Tuesday’s cartoon.

Ladley declined the protesters’ demand that he publish a Page 1 apology. He said he would address their concerns on the editorial page instead.

The protesters, nearly all black, sat silently in the hallways from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. while organizers met with the newspaper’s editorial board.

The protesters also demanded the firing of Woolard. A decision on his fate would be made by Friday, Ladley said.

Among the protesters were several top-level UVa officials, including Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Lampkin, Dean of African-American Affairs Maurice Apprey and interim Dean of Students Allen Groves.

“When students are concerned, I’m concerned,” Groves said. “My position is that we need to have this kind of problem not happen again. It was in poor taste. It was inflammatory. And I struggle to find a valid journalistic purpose behind it.”

The Cavalier Daily is operated by students, but is independent of the university.