For the past few weeks, a viral video has gone around social media due to a racist comment made by members of The University of Georgia’s Xi-Lambda Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon. The TKE members in the video made jokes about picking cotton, which obviously refer to slavery. UGA released a statement regarding the video and how the institution “condemns racism in the strongest terms.
— UGA SGA (@ugasga) March 23, 2019
The response to the whole situation and how UGA commented has been surprisingly varied. Some people don’t believe the school is doing enough to show it condemns racism, while others claim the people in the video shouldn’t be prosecuted at all because there should be freedom of speech on the campus. Either way, schools like UGA in the South have had a history with racial discrimination and oppression. Instead of trying to defend the people who are “joking” we should be trying to look at the bigger problem.
How about freedom of speech on your campus? Will you condemn people who suppress it?
— Secret Genius (@secretgenii) March 24, 2019
Free speech doesn’t mean a get out of jail free card for making racist statements. Making a joke out of an institution where Africans were brought from their homeland to be placed in bondage and enslaved over a field for the rest of there life has nothing to do with free speech.
So this is the kind of fraternity @universityofga allow. Wow. @TKE_Fraternity someone please find who these guys are. #Blacktwitter these MEN, not KIDS, was okay with it too. “Whoa you’re not saying the right word.” “Wait get a video of it.” They knew what they were doing. pic.twitter.com/kOhhlYHOVn
— Angela (@A_Punny) March 22, 2019
The video does show that the members were aware of what they were saying and the meaning behind it. There is no way to excuse what they were saying.
But what are y’all gone do to make sure that don’t happen again from THOSE students at UGA. You could’ve kept your statement.
— Detroit Playa (@BBCBREE) March 23, 2019
Many people want more to be done to prevent this from happening again.
Four students have been expelled, as well they should be. I’m an alum also, and while I haven’t been able to contribute financially, I have always promoted and supported my university. Fraternities in the south have a disgusting track record of racism, among other things.
— (((Dawggirl))) (@MelissaRabb1) March 24, 2019
Although Greek fraternities in the South say they are integrated, many fraternities in the South have been criticized for racism.
i will never understand what’s so funny about being racist ? and saying the n word ?? where’s the joke? what’s so funny about an actual struggle their ancestors caused because they were lazy and hateful ?
— brielle ⚜️ (@brie_monroee) March 23, 2019
Exactly. It’s not a joke—it has never been funny, and it never will be funny.
So you just made a racist assumption of an entire group of people because of the actions of 1 person. Nice job asshat!??♂️ #MAGA
— Daniel Barnes (@ugadawg1977) March 24, 2019
It is highly unlikely that these are the only people in the school or in the South or in the country who make jokes about this. No one is blaming a whole community for their actions; we are just being realistic that this situation represents a bigger problem.
White Supremacisits: “Can’t you take a joke?”@IramiOF @BreakingBrown
— Battle Axe (@Mitchell_theman) March 24, 2019
Again, it’s not a joke.
People who comment that the students shouldn’t be punished for “joking around” are further reminders that the more we make excuses and allow this behavior on our campuses, the further we are from having a diverse and open college community. The remnants of the South’s racial history still plague our schools. Many parents want to send their kids to a good school for a college education and should not have to worry about people on the campus making jokes about disgraceful things their own ancestors did. Minorities have spent hundreds of years oppressed, and in 2019 there is no reason for things like this to be happening.