Oklahoma Football Team Continues Protest Condemning Racist Video
The Oklahoma University football team continues protesting the SAE fraternity's racist video, skipping practice Thursday to "demonstrate silently" while wearing black shirts.
In a statement released on their social media accounts on Thursday, the Sooners football team explained that the University shouldn't stop at just expelling two students from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. The football squad also called for the frat's senior leadership to be “expelled, suspended, or otherwise disciplined severely.”
“The two students that have already been expelled [as a result of the video] are only a symptom of a larger disease, a disease perpetuated by the leadership of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon,” the statement reads. “The chant was not invented by the two that led it, but was taught to underclassmen by people of higher authority.
“As a team, we have come to a consensus that, in any organization, the leadership is responsible for the culture created and, in this case, encouraged,” the statement continues. “Being a student at the University of Oklahoma is a privilege, and allowing this culture to thrive is against everything it means to be a Sooner.”
Upon learning of the racist SAE frat video, prized national football recruit Jean Delance decommitted from the school, but junior linebacker Eric Striker told ESPN that SAE doesn't represent OU's student body.
"This is not a reflection of the people here in Oklahoma, at this University," Striker said. "So many great people here — we can't let a little speck ruin it for the whole state. That's not been definitely our experience here at all. That was just...for the majority of the people here, that is not a reflection on the people here, in this state and the university."
The school's football players aren't the only OU student-athletes demonstrating against SAE's disturbing video and blatant racism. The Sooners basketball team wore black shirts during warm-ups for their game Thursday night.
This is all in response to the Sunday night Internet release of a video of SAE chanting: “There will never be a n****r SAE / There will never be a n****r SAE / You can hang 'em from a tree, but they’ll never [inaudible] with me / There will never be a n****r SAE."
The aftermath saw Oklahoma president David Boren announcing a zero tolerance policy for racism, removing the frat from campus and even expelling two students. But Oklahoma's football team — and many more on social media — believe the racism is deep-rooted at SAE and needs to be eradicated thoroughly.
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(Photo: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
