A video from members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of Oklahoma has emerged and caused outrage from across the nation.
The video shows members singing a song and using the “n word.” They also seem to joke about violence, discussing blacks hanging from trees before being a member of their frat.
The video was posted to Twitter by a university group called Unheard, which was founded in response to the Michael Brown shooting. They are a group of black students dedicated to creating change within the campus.
The University of Oklahoma President, David Boren, has strongly condemned the video.
Here are some pieces from a written statement by Boren following the viewing and release of this video:
“To those who have misused their free speech in such a reprehensible way, I have a message for you. You are disgraceful… You have violated all that we stand for. You should not have the privilege of calling yourselves “Sooners.” Real Sooners are not racist. Real Sooners are not bigots. Real Sooners believe in equal opportunity. Real Sooners treat all people with respect. Real Sooners love each other and take care of each other like family members.”
He added:
“All of us will redouble our efforts to create the strongest sense of family and community…. We vow that we will be an example to the entire country of how to deal with this issue. There must be zero tolerance for racism everywhere in our nation.”
He has also stated that the frat house must be vacated by tomorrow and all ties have been severed between them and the university.
Many people of color at the university, and nationwide, do not seem to be shocked by what is heard in the video. While everyone is upset and saddened by such derogatory and bigoted statements, racism is not something that blacks and Latinos think is a thing of the past. Many incidents on college campuses have occurred that help prove this, but the Oklahoma video has created such outrage because it is on video.
I stand by the sentiments of the students at the university speaking out against this type or egregious behavior, and I am happy to see Boren use such harsh language to condemn the SAE members in the video. I am also happy to see that this behavior will not be tolerated at his university and his message was a strong one.
The trending topic of “#SAEHatesMe” has been trending all day since this video was released. People have used this social media platform to speak out against using such racist rhetoric. The names of the students in the video have not yet been released, but a lot of people have also been utilizing this hashtag to call for the names to be released.
Watch the video, below:
