Here’s how the Internet is reacting to racist YouTube video
April 24, 2016
A video attempting to incite violence against black SIU students during the May 2 protest increased viewership 10-fold on Sunday.
As of 9 p.m. Sunday, the video had more than 2,900 views and received 28 up votes and more than 500 down votes. It had less than 300 views as of 3 p.m.
The video prompted a response from SIU interim Chancellor William Bradley Colwell, demanding it be removed from YouTube.
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Some people took to social media, calling for the university to take action.
“Man if I was at SIU I would be shutting down the entire Carbondale [sic],” @_AmberMcBezzy tweeted. “No way that frat is getting away with hate speech like that.”
Nolan McConnell, president of SIU’s ATO, said no one in his fraternity made the video, which is titled “SIUC White is Right.”
MORE: ATO denies making racist video that calls for lynchings at SIU
“ATO’s have been the organization to be targeted recently, people want them suspended and this is the way people found the solution to it,” Julissa Huerta Renee Reyes wrote on a Daily Egyptian Facebook post. “It’s unfair to blame an organization when there’s nothing that puts them as the creators.”
At least 35 people tweeted at the official @SIUC account, asking the university to take down the video or suspend the fraternity.
One wrote, “@SIUC the students are outraged and this will hurt you more than you think.” Another said, “Please investigate ATO fraternity for threatening violence against black students.”
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“Racism is accepted at my school @SIUC,” @Ajax_doin_it tweeted.
Black Males Roundtable president Michael Smith, a junior from Chicago studying political science, said a student reaction to the video is necessary, but hopes they don’t incite actual violence.
“From the absolute nature of the video it’s disgusting,” Smith told the Daily Egyptian. “It needs to be addressed by not only student, but by the administration of this campus.”
Some shared the Daily Egyptian’s story about the video, asking students to be careful on campus.
“SIU trending for all the wrong reasons too,” @DannieGotIt tweeted.
“Whether they said it or not, the fraternities are slowly making this town a drunken slurry of ignorance instead of providing an academic standard and community service that they were founded upon,” Shayne Alan Swanner wrote on Facebook.
Alyssa Valach replied to Swanner by saying, “False. A majority of the fraternities are. I still know of a few that have high standards in regards to academics, community service, fundraisers, etc.”
Evan Jones can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3325.
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