Oregon University Acknowledge Racial Tensions

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PORTLAND, Ore. - Racial tensions at Oregon's two largest universities have resulted from long-standing frustration, and some students and faculty say school officials do not understand the root causes of the problem. As the school year drew to a close, both campuses experienced race-related unrest.

"As much as we're seen as a liberal, activist campus, we're in a state of denial on minority issues," says Missy Rock, a student arrested during a recent anti-racism sit-in at the University of Oregon (UO) in Eugene. "Until we acted, there wasn't a lot of dialogue around these issues, so we'll keep pushing."

An ongoing classroom discussion that apparently got out of hand …