It seems week after week there’s another instance of racism on college campuses.
Recently, a white student at an HBCU was called out for posting a photo to Snapchat that shows her in a black sheet mask with the caption, “When you just tryna fit in at my HBCU.”
The student, Brooke Merino, has deleted her Twitter account ,where the image was also posted, and the school is currently investigating the situation.
Prairie View A&M, a Texas-based historically black college, confirmed in an interview with Fusion that Merino is the student in the photo. A rep also confirmed that the school’s office of student conduct has asked to speak with Merino.
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Prairie View A&M President George C. Wright said in a statement:
“We have a duty to educate our community to always try to act in a responsible manner and recognize that speech does have consequences.”
Students gathered Thursday night to discuss the incident with many calling for Merino’s expulsion. Jada McCoy, a student, told KPRC-TV, “She was wrong for doing that,” with sophomore Bryant Harris-Williams adding, “Why would you do something that you know people are going to feel a certain type of way.”
Wright’s statement went on to add, “As a scholar of race relations in the United States and president of Prairie View A&M University, whose alumni, students, and many supporters have experienced firsthand racial insults in the form of words, caricatures and a wide range of other actions, I know clearly the hurt and harm that can be done from intentional and unintentional acts of this nature.
Let me be clear that, whether intentional or unintentional, the actions have the same impact, and as a community, we denounce any racial slight whenever it occurs…For 140 years, this university has maintained a standard of excellence and will continue to be a beacon of light for years to come.”