Ohio students protest racially based costumes

COLUMBUS (AP) — An Ohio student group is asking its peers to avoid costumes based on racial or ethnic stereotypes this Halloween.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Students Teaching About Racism in Society at Ohio University has launched a campaign in advance of this weekend’s Halloween party, which draws tens of thousands of revelers to Athens.

The campaign features five posters showing students holding up pictures of racially-insensitive costumes. One shows a white student in blackface and another a student dressed as an Arab suicide bomber. Other posters depict Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans.

All of the posters show a member of the race being stereotyped holding the photos with text reading “We’re a culture, not a costume,” and “This is not who I am and this is not okay.”