Members of the Black Student Alliance, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Ally Alliance and other ISU multicultural organizations have organized an ISU rally in response to ongoing discrimination seen on college campuses nationwide.

The rally, called “Got Ignorance?,” will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday south of Parks Library.

“The rally is a response to racist acts,” said Sarai Arnold, chairwoman for the rally. “We hope it will be a proactive measure to stop further acts of discrimination.”

She said the rally will be used to expose people to the ongoing acts of discrimination at Iowa State and nationwide.

Arnold said she learned at a meeting for the Black Student Alliance about parties at Auburn and Oklahoma State University, at which people dressed up as stereotypes of African-Americans, including as slaves and members of the Ku Klux Klan.

She said hearing about the incident sparked her interest in counteracting the racist acts on universities that continue to go unpunished. She said she and friend Karla Hardy, Government of the Student Body’s director of diversity, decided the best way to respond would be to organize a rally visible to students at Iowa State.

“We are all ignorant and we can all learn more about the different cultures in our society,” Arnold said.

Jasmyn Dyer, chairwoman of the outreach committee, said she does not want people thinking the rally will only be used to raise awareness of racism against African-Americans.

“We hope to show how many different groups, from women to the handicapped, have been inflicted,” she said.

While some students’ beliefs will be challenged, Dyer said the rally is not about pressuring everyone to have the same views on every issue. She said American culture is full of different people with different beliefs and the best thing to do would be to learn to appreciate others’ differences.

“We may be different, but in the end, the differences don’t matter,” Dyer said. “We have so much more in common.”

Curtis Tarver, Black Student Alliance member, said rally organizers are not worried about negative feedback that may be incurred.

“Students need to get information, that’s what most important about this rally,” he said.

Arnold said mixed responses are expected, but she hopes most people will be receptive to the rally.

Although the rally is a new idea at Iowa State, Tarver said he hopes the message can be spread and rallies can be organized on campuses across the nation in the following years.

To help spread their message of tolerance, organizers will pass out newsletters during the rally. Other events planned include speeches from Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, and Pete Englin, dean of students.