On Oct. 25, 2025, a mom and her two children were shocked to see a racial slur against Black people brightly glowing on a construction sign in Alpine, Utah. As they are the only people of color within the area, the mother was disappointed and felt as though her family was targeted.

Police also reported that the sign must have been hacked and programmed to portray this message. For fellow students of color growing up in Utah County, this is an unfortunate norm. Unsurprisingly, anonymous comments underneath news stories regarding this crime were undermining. One anonymous user commented, “Really? Just one word (the N-word) and everybody goes nuts. What a sad world.”

This highlights Utah’s inability to recognize its issues with not properly confronting racism. Rather than running from the problem or undermining those attempting to share their experiences, Utahns must remember the widely held principle of “love thy neighbor.” Particularly for developing children and adults, having institutional support is imperative to success. Schools, parents and students must act to prevent further racial discrepancies and push for conversations regarding micro and macro aggressions.

The “Utah Bubble”

Historically, students of color in Utah have faced a variety of barriers in feeling completely safe and welcome at school. After Brown v. Board of Education was ruled under the United States Supreme Court, Utah law didn’t change. Rather than focusing on direct segregation, Utah utilizes subversive policies and culture. This leads to a more normalized “quiet” form of racism.

This results in the “Utah Bubble”, where White Utah natives often subconsciously uphold cultural norms that quietly uphold racial divides. This stems from a lack of exposure to diverse communities, often bringing about ignorance or implicit violence.

Even within my own upbringing through the Utah County education system, I was often faced with sayings ranging from calling my lunches stinky to being called a “chink” right to my face. Still, almost eight years later, it seems as though Utah County has not changed.

Student voices

In Utah, racism isn’t usually openly hostile. Instead, it’s through subtle comments and a lack of institutional support. In high school, students in predominantly white neighborhoods, like Alpine, stick out like sore thumbs.

Lone Peak High School student Monia Dushimirimana was shocked when she moved to Utah County during seventh grade. In an interview, Monia said, “Everyone thought I was going to be like the ghetto girl or something like that, started a lot of fights, just because they think they know me.” Often ridiculed by peers through insults disguised as innocent jokes, high school students are forced to suffer in silence.

After falling victim to a long history of hearing and being told racial slurs, Monia decided to go online for school last year. When asked if she received institutional support after telling the administration, she said, “The principal just called their (the perpetrators’) parents and told them the situation, but they didn’t get suspended. Like nothing, they just went back to class the next day, acting like everything was fine.”

When asked why Utah County has certain patterns of ignoring racism, Monia said, “I feel like that has to do with our bubble and not really going out of our way to make friends with other people. And I feel like they (the Utah community) have an idea of what should be, instead of what could be.”

This is continued with cowardly acts of racism on campus at the U. Upon Gardner Commons being built, the construction site was vandalized with a racial slur. Even in 2023, campus police were given notice of handwritten racist slurs and swastikas left on papers at a tabling event on campus. Black students and staff in particular face hate crimes at the University of Utah. However, in person, Andre Hudson, a U student from Arizona, said that it’s rarely blatant actions. He said, “Here, it feels like you’re being watched and judged. The culture is a lot more judgmental than confrontational.”

Upon the closing of important campus resources, like the Black Cultural Center, students like Andre are left with little to no institutional help. When asked where one goes for support, Andre said, “I don’t know if there’s any real support systems that I’ve heard of. I’d say the U needs to create more spaces where people can be themselves and there’s more community.”

Across the varied perspectives throughout development, a theme appears. Students of color in Utah are expected to adapt to discomfort rather than push against it. From middle school to college, students are continuously overlooked. Utah needs further student counseling support and institutional guidelines for its minority populations.

Pop the bubble

Former University of Utah researcher Dr. Maeve Wall wrote about Utah’s education system. Wall found that Utah’s uniquely predominantly White and LDS influence led to “white-Niceness”, which describes a polite, color-evasive attitude that masked anti-Black racism under the guise of good intentions in the early 70’s. This sentiment is still being carried throughout Utah’s treatment of its students of color today.

In a Zoom Interview, Wall said, “I think that within LDS culture, there’s a lot of focus on perfectionism and innocence… It’s a refusal to acknowledge racism to avoid this sort of conflict, suppress resistance and claim your intentions weren’t to harm anyone.” This research finding points to a cultural norm that is embedded within Utah. Most Utahns would rather appear morally pure than engage in difficult discussions about race and inequality. For students like Monia, this avoidance directly impacts their ability to attend school and feel safe.

As for students of color, Andre advised, “Stand up for yourself. Don’t let stuff slide. That’ll help make a better campus culture.”

Utahns must recognize their patterns of silence and negligence. Expanding mental health services and administrative action against racial hate crimes must be enacted by school officials. Honest conversations and action initiated and valued by both victims and perpetrators are necessary in destroying years of ignorance. It’s time for Utah to pop the bubble.

[email protected]

@peakalika.bsky.social