In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, people across this country have banded together to stand up against racism. The racist name for Northern State University's homecoming celebration must be changed.

Gy*sy is a slur against the Romani people. Non-Romani people are using an ethnic slur, harmful negative stereotypes, and depictions of an ethnic minority. Romani people around the globe face discrimination and hate crimes. Over three-quarters of the Romani population were murdered during the Nazi holocaust. There are issues of poverty and institutional discrimination that Romani people still face every day. Eighty percent of Roma live at our Below the poverty line. By keeping that name for the Northern State University homecoming celebration, the university is supporting racist thoughts, beliefs, and practices. 

Change the name now!

#NSUisRACIST

The link to the universities homecoming celebration: https://www.northern.edu/campus-life/gypsy-days

For those interested in learning more about why this name is not acceptable here are some references:

https://www.brut.media/us/news/racist-origins-of-gypsy--0d0a3396-b7a2-469b-8d89-42652a72c487

https://www.scarymommy.com/stop-saying-gypsy/?fbclid=IwAR0UXHur3ii85PlizwpriAVcGilGj0SuvBvdbtjfYILLzmLHHkrxs-eIA6k
https://mindfulmermaid.com/stopsayinggypsy/
https://www.nmu.edu/sites/DrupalEnglish/files/UserFiles/Files/Pre-Drupal/SiteSections/Students/AwardEntries/Romani_Pickering_2010.pdfpdf

Here is some information about the Roma people: Reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1RK01YHhttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-roma-rights-idUSKCN1RK01Y

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2016/11/30/poverty-among-europes-roma-community 

If you are interested in supporting Roma please visit Europen Roma Rights Center and make a donation. They are connected to Amnesty International (this petition is not affiliated): http://www.errc.org/get-involved/donate Or UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/eca/what-we-do/ending-child-poverty/roma-children

Note: The image was taken directly from the website. The university proudly displays photos of Non-Romani people wearing costumes that reinforce demeaning stereotypes. The photo can be found here: https://www.northern.edu/campus-life/gypsy-days/gypsy-days-past