During the events of Feb. 10, there was an unmistakable and alarming historical parallel.

A group of students chose to exercise their right to protest Former President Donald Trump speaking on campus. The group was explicit in their intentions– Senior Kaci Dozer, who organized the demonstration, told WMBF News that the reason they were protesting was because of the risk Trump and the rally attendees posed for student safety.

Though the protest was explicitly targeted at Coastal Carolina University’s administration, it evoked extreme emotional responses from ostensible Trump supporters. While the group peacefully marched, danced, or chanted “We are CCU, when will you CC us?” passers-by shouted expletives and made obscene gestures at the protesters.

While we know that politics tend to be divided on racial lines, it was disturbing to see it in such stark relief on our campus. Though Coastal is a predominately white institution, the group of protesters was overwhelmingly Black. The opposite was true of those harassing the protesters.

Avoiding political issues is a privilege not afforded to those whose existence is political. If we look back at history, time and time again it is Black Americans who fight for positive social change.

When we look back at what is happening now, we will see a clear, unfortunate and avoidable line dividing our campus.