Student in Claremont posts controversial ad for 'nonwhite' roommate

CLAREMONT, Calif. (KABC) -- Pitzer College in Claremont was making national headlines after a student published a controversial Facebook post looking for a "nonwhite" roommate.

Campus was quiet at Pitzer College. Classes don't start until the end of the month, but when Kare Urena and one of her roommates, Isaac Tucker-Rasbury, posted on Facebook that they were looking for another roommate and included the term POC only, meaning "people of color only," it caused quite the stir.

Urena explained the reason behind the post, saying the idea was not meant to be racist but rather a desperate move to create a safe space for her.

"I do not hate white people, that's not what I screamed in that post," she said. "What I screamed in that post was I am eagerly desperate to create a safe space on this campus in order for me to return and be successful here."

The school's president, Melvin Oliver, responded to the controversy saying the post is "inconsistent with (the) mission and values" of Pitzer College.

"This is but another example to us that social media is not an effective platform to engage in complex dialog on seemingly intractable critical issues that have varied histories and contested understandings," he added.

Meanwhile, some said it is understandable to want to have someone to identify with.

"I don't know what the issue is," said one local resident. "But we're all facing these issues these days."