A yearbook is a publication to celebrate milestones and memories of an era in a student’s life, but at many universities it has also been a landing spot for outward, blatant racism.
A USA Today investigation examined 900 yearbooks from 120 colleges and universities in the U.S. in the '70s and '80s, from small Ivy League schools to giant Division I powerhouse schools throughout 25 states.
The investigation found more than 200 offensive or racist photos, from partygoers in blackface to black-robed people watching a mock lynching.
“It was sort of surprising sort of how common these issues were, how pervasive racist images were coming up in these yearbooks and offensive materials too,” said Brett Murphy, an investigative reporter with USA Today.
For more on our interview with Murphy, watch the video above. To see the entire USA Today report, click here.