The University of Oklahoma chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was shut down after video surfaced Sunday of members chanting that they’d never allow a black member into the frat. The students use racial slurs while also referencing lynching in the song. A black student group, OU Unheard, tweeted the video to university president David Boren early Sunday evening. Around the same time, The Oklahoma Daily released the video on their website after receiving an anonymous tip.
It appears that the video was filmed on a charter bus as members of the SAE chapter were traveling to a party on Saturday. The clip is only ten seconds long, but the fraternity brothers can clearly be seen singing “there will never be a n*gger in SAE” to the tune “If You’re Happy And You Know It.” The members also added the lyric “you can hang them from a tree but they’ll never sign with me.” Below is video of the disgusting chant.
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It didn’t take long for the video to go viral Sunday evening and both the fraternity’s national organization and Boren acted quickly. By late Sunday evening, SAE had shuttered the Oklahoma chapter and stated that the members involved will be punished.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is aware of the video and is both shocked and appalled at what we have seen. (Cont)
— Sigma Alpha Epsilon (@sae1856) March 8, 2015
Those types of behaviors are not consistent with our values whatsoever. (Cont)
— Sigma Alpha Epsilon (@sae1856) March 8, 2015
We are investigating the details and will sanction those who are responsible.
— Sigma Alpha Epsilon (@sae1856) March 8, 2015
While we correct our server issues, here’s our statement. pic.twitter.com/yOBqubcLFO
— Sigma Alpha Epsilon (@sae1856) March 9, 2015
Boren also promised an investigation and insisted that all of the students involved will face expulsion.
If the video is indeed of OU students, this behavior will not be tolerated and is contrary to all of our values. We are investigating. – DBo
— David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015
Updated statement attached. – DBo pic.twitter.com/xIvnd9otgu
— David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015
On Monday morning, a rally took place on OU’s campus where hundreds of students, joined by Boren, marched in solidarity to protest the actions of the fraternity.
David Boren is walking with protestors as the silently walk through the Union @OUDaily pic.twitter.com/2DXOJ38M0e
— Daisy (@daisycreager) March 9, 2015
The crowd listening to Chelsea Davis, Unheard Exec, outside Evans Hall. pic.twitter.com/AjDr7CNbnf
— Daisy (@daisycreager) March 9, 2015
Health and Exercise senior Adeisha Sawyer holds up a sign in protest on South Oval Mon. morning. @OUDaily #unheard pic.twitter.com/s8uz5iS7fF
— Jacqueline Eby (@JackieEby) March 9, 2015
@OUDaily @OU_Unheard pic.twitter.com/CX47bUPLdm
— Tyler Woodward (@tkwoodward) March 9, 2015
Every time we are told that we live in a post-racial society, an incident like this wakes us up and tells us we still have a long way to go. On the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday at Selma, we see a group of young, white, privileged people using language and evoking imagery of a time when America had laws on the books that deemed blacks were second-class citizens. Considering that these frat brothers area all in their early 20s or younger, it shows that that in certain segments of our population, racism still runs rampant.
Justin Baragona is the Managing Editor at Politicus Sports as well as Senior Editor at PoliticusUSA. He was a political writer for 411Mania.com before joining PoliticusUSA. Politically, Justin considers himself a liberal but also a realist and pragmatist. Currently, Justin lives in St. Louis, MO and is married. Besides writing, he also runs his own business after spending a number of years in the corporate world. You can follow Justin on Twitter either with his personal handle (@justinbaragona) or the Sports site’s (@PoliticusSports).
