Weeks after an Indiana State University student posted a racist video about Beyoncé, the school finally responded.
The response came nearly two weeks after the video was first posted and sparked outrage online. And though it has since been deleted by the creator, it had been stitched and saved several times over.
In the video, the student is seen making racist comments about Black people in general and Beyoncé specifically in regards to her new country album Cowboy Carter.
The student said:
“I’m sorry, but if you’re Black, you’re not country."
“I don’t care. And I meant that in the nicest way."
And it just gets worse.
"I know you were raised in the country or your grandparents were, I guess — your great granny and grandpas — but they was picking. OK?"
"They wasn’t planting. Just keep that in mind."
"They wasn’t making money. They was getting sold for money. You ain’t country.”
She then went on a rant about Black people wearing boots and jeans to fraternity parties.
You can watch below.
People on social media were absolutely outraged and called on ISU to take action.
It soon became a local news story.
And it continued to gather steam as it made its way through the twitterverse.
Last Monday, students protested with signs on campus after the school still had not acknowledged the incident.
The very next day, Indiana State University President Deborah J. Curtis released a statement claiming she worked with the vice president of Student Affairs to “identify the student, communicate directly with student leaders, and strategize how to prioritize student well-being and safety."
The statement continued:
“Racism, hate speech and discrimination of any kind is deplorable and in direct contradiction of Indiana State’s mission, vision, and values."
"The student’s comments in the video in no way represent the ideals and goals of Indiana State University.”
But the statement is not enough, and came far too late.
ISU’s NAACP chapter and African Student Union have shared also statements on Instagram calling for action.
While people on social media were happy to see ISU finally recognize the issue, they still want to know how the school is going to move forward and hold the student accountable for her actions.
We're still waiting—again.
