MURFRESSBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — A shocking racist message left on a Middle Tennessee State University student’s door is sparking a conversation across campus. 

News 2 sat down with the MTSU student that found a racist slur written outside her dorm room.   

“For February, we decided to decorate for Black History Month opposed to Valentine’s Day like everyone else. It was important to us because we are one of the few black girls on our floor,” Kristin Blake said. 

Blake said she never expected this response. On Friday, a hateful message was written on Blake’s door on a white board underneath a Black History Month banner. 

“You zoom in a bit more, we have a white board that we draw memes on and little drawings and someone has defaced it with a slur. . .to me it seems like a matter of wanting to instill that fear and hatred, but not wanting to face the consequences of it,” Blake said.  

She said the photo has circulated throughout social media and the campus community, opening up a conversation.

“A lot of good conversation has sparked out of this, especially on social media. I’ve seen people calling for action and opening up the conversation on this topic,” Blake said. 

This incident was not the first reported on MTSU’s campus. Two incidents of racism were reported in 2021 and 2020, including a racist slur written on top of an African American male’s head on an advertisement at a bus stop.

“The amount of people that were surprised that it happened…I think we need to be more open as a society and realize that racism is still alive and well and just because we are in a more modern age, that just means it has changed how it looks,” Blake said. 

MTSU police are continuing to encourage students to come forward with information on the incident.  

“For the person behind it, I would like to see them be held responsible of course for their actions, but I would also like to know what made them do that in the first place,” Blake said.