Obama Statement on Racial Tensions at Columbia University

Chicago, IL -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on an incident at Columbia University where a noose was hung on the office door of an African American professor.

"As a nation, we have an obligation to act swiftly to address any form of racial injustice. I commend Columbia University and its student body for immediately condemning this tragic act. This incident, along with the case in Jena, Louisiana, is a grave reminder that the signs and symbols of Jim Crow racism continue to burden America. And while we have made tremendous progress, clearly there is still more work to do to heal the scars of the past."