Her rock-hard truth

SANDUSKY — "Imagine being scared to be on a campus you pay thousands to attend." That's a statement Dorisha Hendrix, a Kent State University junior and a 2018 Sandusky High School graduate, recently wrote on a social networking site, reacting to an on-campus incident that received national attention. During the last couple of weeks, the rock — which has been painted since the 1930s and allows for student expression toward events or causes — on Kent State's main campus was painted with several messages. When the rock was painted to support unity and the Black Lives Matter movement, it was painted over with the words "White Lives Matter." "I wasn't shocked," Hendrix told the Register. "It is very typical for this to happen here at Kent." Hendrix believed the Black Lives Matter slogan would have a great impact on Kent State's campus. But she soon realized the message, about her life mattering, wouldn't go over well with some people. The rock was repainted with "Hate has no home here!" but the message was eventually altered to say "Blacks have no home here." As the offensive messages kept occurring, it left Hendrix with unsettling feelings. "I felt unsafe and unwanted. It was heartbreaking. I really like it here in Kent," she said. "I thought the staff's efforts of painting the rock with the message 'Hate has no home here!' was nice but hate does. I know it does." The university released a statement calling the messages "vile" and "hurtful." Administrators are looking into several actions, including adding fencing around the rock, installing security cameras or removing the rock altogether. Hendrix said these possible actions won't fix the true, underlying problem: The university needs to tend to the Black United Students, Hendrix said. According to the university's website, Black United Students is a student organization that serves and unifies all Black students at Kent State by addressing their needs. "We are the ones being directly affected by these acts of racism. We are the ones feeling unwelcome and unsafe. We should be the ones who are taken into consideration when it comes a time to make the decision," she said. "If hate truly has no home at Kent State, then that needs to be proven by following the demands of (Black United Students) and removing the racist students." Hendrix said she's someone who is determined to rise above any hardship. She's an author and poet. She also has a heart for people and tries to find solutions for the sake of others. She wants to push for change. "I understand the message 'It's okay to be white.' We never said it wasn't," she said. "We just want it to be OK to be Black."