“UNF SDS LETTER IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT
ANTI-BLACK VIDEO BY UNF STUDENTS”

“Dear President Delaney and the UNF Administration,

It has recently been brought to the attention of UNF Students for a Democratic Society that three White students posted a video on social media engaging in racist/anti-Black behavior. In the video two students are pretending to be Black people whilst acting like monkeys. This is deeply appalling given the long history in this country of depicting Black people as sub-humans, monkeys, and other animals. The students responsible for the video may attempt to feign ignorance by claiming they did not recognize the racist nature of their action, but given the well documented history of that sort of bigotry, we categorically refuse to accept such an excuse should they choose to employ that. We demand that the university make it clear that this sort of behavior or any other sort of bigoted behavior is inexcusable. We demand that the students in question be punished for their deeply offensive actions. We will not accept them just receiving a slap on the wrist and/or a perfunctory email from the President’s Office. We demand swift action to show that UNF does not tolerate this sort of vile and dehumanizing behavior. Anything short of that will show that the university does not stand with Black and other marginalized students but with White supremacy. This sort of behavior is part of why UNF Students for a Democratic Society created the four-point list of demands we did. We recognize the shortcomings of this campus and as such call for the immediate implementation of those demands. Should we feel the matter is not being handled in a timely and serious manner we will have no choice but to share this story with the local and national media, begin a campaign of agitation, and demand the administrators who did not take this seriously be removed from their positions. We will not tolerate racism or any other form of prejudice on our campus, nor will we accept complicit quietism as a response to such acts of hatred.”

Committed to justice,

UNF Students for a Democratic Society