Her name is Jasmine Barkley. This is my university. Penn State. Beyond ridiculous. @penn_state y’all already know the deal. Just do your thing. pic.twitter.com/ItUzHV38aE
— Seun ✊🏿 (@seuntheactivist) April 22, 2018
Last week, two white sorority girls from two different universities recorded themselves saying the n-word in videos that have since gained notoriety on social media. Now they’re both facing backlash at their respective campuses.
In the first video, Penn State student Kaitlin Listro can be heard saying the n-word over and over while traveling in an elevator as music blares from her phone. It doesn’t appear that Listro is actually singing along to the lyrics of any particular song. From the video, it seems she is just saying the n-word–albeit in a sing-song voice–on repeat.
As Listro exits the small space, she says, “If you’re offended, you can suck my dick.”
After Listro got thoroughly called out on social media, her friend Jasmine Barkley–who attends William Paterson University in New Jersey–posted a video poll to Instagram asking whether or not it was okay for white people to say the n-word while singing along to a song containing that word. She asks:
Is it appropriate for me to say ‘nigga’ if it’s in a song and you’re singing the lyrics? Or is it not appropriate for me to say ‘nigga’? Let me know.
Also. pic.twitter.com/ZjFE7M8lsk
— Seun ✊🏿 (@seuntheactivist) April 22, 2018
As Barkley intones her loaded questions, a bow-wearing girl in the background sings, “What up my nigga, what up my nigga,” before smiling and taking a sip of her beverage.
(The first video is available in full here; the second here.)
Seun Babalola, an activist at Penn State who brought widespread attention to the videos on Twitter, said, in comments to The Daily Collegian, “I don’t tolerate racism. Period. I will always do whatever it takes to ensure that my community is treated with respect here at PSU. That is one of my primary roles as an activist.”
In response, Barkley was swiftly kicked out of her sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon. In a statement posted to Facebook, the organization noted:
Delta Phi Epsilon will not tolerate racism. The woman in the video is no longer a member of DPhiE. Our organization was founded by 5 Jewish women who were discriminated against. They stood up for social justice and we continue to stand for that today. We will be forming a task force on diversity and inclusion as a result of this incident.
An earlier version of the post contained the following statement, “Delta Phi Epsilon International Headquarters has just become aware of an unfolding situation at William Paterson University. We are investigating the actions of one member and will take swift, decisive action to remove her or any member who does not uphold our values.”
Penn State responded to the uproar via Twitter. The university condemned Listro’s speech but said there was no way to punish her for it because of the First Amendment. They wrote, “Penn State’s embrace of diversity & inclusion, and opposition to prejudice & hate, are clear. We condemn racist messages, as they are hateful and violate our institutional values. We cannot, however, impose sanctions for Constitutionally protected speech, no matter how offensive.”
[images via screengrab/Twitter/Instagram]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher
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