Indiana University Removes Controversial 'Black Santa' Poster From Residence Hall

@Jelly_NoPickles/TwitterIndiana University removed a controversial bulletin board asking "Can Santa Claus Be a Black Man?" from an undergraduate residence hall after what administrators described as a misguided attempt to promote campus discussions on race.

It is unclear when the poster first appeared in Foster Residence Center, but it was removed Monday night after many students said they felt it was offensive and promoted negative racial stereotypes. As The Chronicle of Higher Education reports,

"If you didn't know any of the context-you just saw the bulletin board-it looked like someone had created a poster that had very negative stereotypes about African Americans," an IU spokesperson told Indiana Public Media.

The university used their Twitter account to issue a public apology Monday night:

And here are some more detailed images of the "Black Santa" display: