A photo of two women in a sorority at George Washington University holding a banana peel posted on Snapchat with the caption of ‘I’m 1/16 black’ is being called ‘distinctly racist’ by their own chapter.
The photo, which was shared on January 31, showed two members of Alpha Phi and appears to have been taken on the sorority’s on-campus townhouse. The two women in the photo were not the ones that posted the image to Snapchat.
George Washington University Provost Forrest Maltzman said in a statement that the incident was ‘disturbing, hurtful and not reflective of who I know we are as a community.’
A fellow student shared the photo to Twitter and wrote ‘This is the eve of Black History Month.’
The photo was shared via Snapchat on January 31, but was then tweeted by a fellow student
The sorority (pictured) released a statment calling the photo ‘distinctly racist’ and that the three women involved are in the process of having their membership terminated
‘As a university, we have emphasized our commitment to inclusion and have made clear that ‘You are Welcome Here.’ We do this through our actions and our words. Images like the one posted on social media can make people question whether they are welcome at the university, and that is unacceptable to me,’ Matlzman said.
Meanwhile the sorority released a statement, saying they accept responsibility as a group.
‘We are culpable for this action as a group in which a few felt comfortable making a joke that was distinctly racist, ignorant, and harmful. We are in no way trying to contextualize, excuse, or forgive the events that occurred.’
They also added they acknowledge they are not a diverse organization and ‘are committed to listening to the voices of those who have been harmed by the actions of those individuals and by our actions as a chapter.’
The three members in question are in the process of having their membership terminated.
George Washington University released a statement acknowledging the issue of racist language and imagery on campus
Matlzman said racist language and imagery on college campuses is an issue and there is a ‘need for an ongoing discourse about race.’
Meanwhile Anti-Defamation League issued a report Thursday that said racist fliers, banners and stickers were found on college campuses 147 times in fall 2017, a more than threefold increase over the 41 cases reported one year before.
Leaders of the New York-based nonprofit attribute the uptick to a small number of white nationalist groups seeking to recruit members on college campuses that have ramped up their efforts as the nation’s politics grow increasingly polarized.