Kappa Alpha 1969

Kappa Alpha 1969

We have chosen this photo for its representation of racist and white supremacist ideologies that persist among us. While this photo holds the faces of young men in 1969, the year it appeared in the student yearbook. It also highlights the way these ideals stick with us regardless of where we go. We often use youth, humor, and time as a way to excuse racism, but this photo forces us to face our history and the violence it promoted. In other words, you are looking at future lawmakers, educators, and everyday people who uphold and support racist systems of belief. It can’t be excused or ignored.

The Terrapin Yearbook, p. 360

1969

Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries