A week after a fraternity at Syracuse University was suspended when video surfaced showing its members shouting racist and homophobic slurs, more videos featuring racist college trash have sparked outrage on social media. This time, it’s two white sorority sisters from William Patterson and Penn State University.
Related: Frat boys caught on tape engaging in homophobic and racist behavior claim they’re the real victims
The videos were shared on Twitter by Penn State student Seun Babalola over the weekend. In them, the two Beckys, both dressed in cheerleader uniforms, repeatedly use the N-word. One of them tells people who are offended by her language to “suck my dick.”
Her name is Jasmine Barkley. This is my university. Penn State. Beyond ridiculous. @penn_state y'all already know the deal. Just do your thing. pic.twitter.com/ItUzHV38aE
— Seun ?? (@seuntheactivist) April 22, 2018
Also. pic.twitter.com/ZjFE7M8lsk
— Seun ?? (@seuntheactivist) April 22, 2018
Since the videos went viral, the women have been identified as Delta Phi Epsilon sorority sister Jasmine Barkley, who attends William Paterson, and Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister Kaitlin Listro, a supply chain major at Penn State.
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Penn State responded by saying the university cannot “impose sanctions for Constitutionally protected speech, no matter how offensive,” but condemns racist messages like those expressed in the videos.
The statement said:
Penn State’s embrace of diversity & inclusion, and opposition to prejudice & hate, are clear. We condemn racist messages, as they are hateful and violate our institutional values. We cannot, however, impose sanctions for Constitutionally protected speech, no matter how offensive.
Meanwhile, Barkley was kicked out of her sorority. She issued a statement shortly thereafter insisting she’s “not a racist” and saying if it’s not OK for her to use the N-word then it shouldn’t be included in rap songs.
The apology was posted to her school’s newspaper’s Twitter page:
A response from Jasmine Barkley @wpunj_edu @DPHIE_WPUNJ pic.twitter.com/Ph1hAqU6xk
— The WPU Beacon (@WPUBeacon) April 23, 2018
The Delta Phi Sorority also posted a statement to its Facebook page condemning bigotry and reminding everyone that the sorority “was founded by five Jewish women who were discriminated against.”
Ah yes, the old “I can’t be a bigot, my best friend is [insert minority group]” excuse.
We think we speak for everyone when we say…
Related: Frat caught spouting racist, antigay bile laughably asserts “We are open-minded, scholarly leaders”
MaxTaste
Ah. Penn State. The University that allowed a sexual predator to operate within its midst for decades. Yes, we should definitely expect that place to take the moral high ground.
Aires the Ram
You know, we all have prejudices of one kind or another, some of them benign, like maybe you hate broccoli, some of them pertaining to certain groups of people. We all do, if you say you don’t, you are a liar. But with that being said, we’ve all had private conversations with our friends/family about our prejudices, but anybody with even one whit of COMMON SENSE, wouldn’t get up on the rooftops and shout these things to the entire town square…… Just because we have technology today that allows this sort of thing, it doesn’t mean we should. These girls acted immaturely, stupidly, and with an attitude that in my day would’ve ended up with my parents pulling me out of school and telling me that the party is now over, and to go out now and get a job, without the college degree. That’s what would’ve happened back not so very long ago. Too bad parents aren’t being parents like that now.
MaxTaste
I’m confused. Does she have a dick? Maybe I’m old school, but shouldn’t the phrase, “Suck my dick,” be reserved for who folks who actually have a dick?
barkomatic
I’m amazed at how people–mostly young people–seem utterly oblivious to how badly their lives can derail when they get recorded during their nasty tirades. Despite weekly accounts where fools actually seemed surprised that people hate them when their videos go viral.
Next she’ll start posting about how she is really the victim.
olfwob
not befor someone starts a go-fund-me-campaign
batesmotel
This is how most people her age act. While I don’t support that, you can’t act surprised as if this is an isolated case. Eaves drop on most people her age in groups acting out and something offensive will fly out of their mouth more times than you can believe in the span of minutes.
BivisibleGuy
This is because the brain is not fully formed by early college years. It is purely a biological matter that these people haven’t built in the filter/recognition of others/how they might be perceived. These are kids with an access to showing their ass before they understand the depth of the issue. It is both disappointing that we qualify them this way and that they are able to express themselves in such a public (international) forum before they should truly be held accountable for their actions that may be little more than preschoolers playing with potty language.
Sorry, as a pre-k teacher I see this sort of thing all the time to some degree. I understand that the message begins at home, but media has not always been a kind friend either. We should nurture these people and educate them more so than vilifing. Let’s lift them up to show them how horrible their actions were and teach them better.
GayEGO
It is very surprising to see Northern University college students make these homophobic remarks.
calpoidog
“supply chain” is a major? Wow, Becky’s shaping up to be one exciting adult!
Kangol
Supply chain management is a huge field in business schools. You’d be surprised.
paul dorian lord fredine
tired old excuse ‘if rappers can say it, so can i’. really cupcake, you have to get a new script writer ’cause that one is so 2000.
KaiserVonScheiss
They were clearly doing it to be edgy. I doubt that they are raving, foaming-at-the-mouth klan members.
Juanjo
Is it only offensive if they are “raving, foaming-at-the-mouth klan members”? I don’t think so.
Creamsicle
They can take that edge and maybe mommy and daddy will use it to cut them off. Why should they pay tuition for them to go to school if they’re determined to sabotage their chances of being employed?
Creamsicle
They can make all the racist comments on video that they want. It is 100% their right.
They just shouldn’t expect any job offers once they’re done with school. Nobody wants to be “The Company that Hires Racist Sorority Girls.”
Keebler ILF
This issue came up last year when Bill Maher used the word during his HBO show. Rapper Ice Cube went on Bill’s show and explained why he feels it’s wrong for white people to use the word, but ok for blacks to use the word.
https://youtu.be/gnwiYdFaRfk
True story. A white, female co-worker of mine asked me why she can’t use the n word if rappers use it all the time. This wasn’t a discussion I wanted to get into during work, so I just let it go. But I considered responding by calling her a BITCH and a HO. And if she got offended by me calling her that, my response would’ve been, why can’t I call you that? Rappers call women bitches and hos all the time.
Kangol
Not just rappers, but women call each other *b*tch*, *wh*re*, *sl*t,* etc, At the same time, it is one thing when a woman uses or repurposes such terms against another woman, but different when a man does so, since men have and continue to hold considerable power over and dominate women, in this country and all over the world. The same is true when it comes to other kinds of slurs. It’s one thing if a gay person calls another gay person a gay slur, versus when a straight person does it.
DCguy
Two Quick things….
1. Pen State said……”Penn State’s embrace of diversity & inclusion, and opposition to prejudice & hate, are clear. We condemn racist messages, as they are hateful and violate our institutional values. We cannot, however, impose sanctions for Constitutionally protected speech, no matter how offensive.”
Except that’s a lie. The 1st Amendment means she can’t be arrested for speaking against the government, an institution can absolutely have a code of behavior one must abide by to join or be a member. The same way they can have a dress code.
2. The other woman defended her language by saying she should get to use the word freely since rappers use it. This is a familiar refrain in Right Wing media. So by using the argument she already shows she’s been reading racist right wing media. Secondly, anybody else notice that one of the MAIN things that seems to make right wingers furious is that they see it as a personal attack that they can’t use the N-Word?
dinard38
Well……playing devil’s advocate, the chick does have a point….somewhat. What she said in her letter. I’ve always found it hypocritical that we African Americans call each other the N word, and use it incessantly in rap music, knowing that our music is sold to and listened to by many whites. So white people can buy this vulgar rap music, listen to it, but can’t say the N word that is used over and over in the music? WHAT???
When African Americans are asked about using the word, their justification is that calling each other the N word takes the sting out of the word and the ‘power’ from the word. Such BS!!!! For years the generations before us bravely fought for our equal rights and to not be called that N word. African Americans were beaten and killed so that our generation can have more freedoms. Now we’ve disrespecting all of the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s a shame and truly sad.
Brian
That’s the part that I don’t get. Isn’t part of taking the power from a word not having a complete fucking meltdown every time it’s used by the wrong person? That this story is a story just shows that the “reclaiming” of the word has been a complete failure, it has more power today than it ever did.
Has “I can do this but you can’t” ever been a successful behavior modification technique?
Cylest Brooks
If you think that folks have “a complete fucking meltdown every time” a reclaimed word is used by the wrong person, then I have to suggest that you are not paying attention. The number of times that folks just sigh internally and keep going in spite of these words FAR outweighs the number of times they make a scene about it.
If you only see it when they make a big deal about it, consider that you might be watching selectively in order to validate your own bias.
DCguy
Translation: You are saying it’s ok for these two White women to use a racial slur they know attacks an entire race of people.
deanna_szuter
Singing along to a rap song, and saying it outside are two different things.
I can sing NIN “Closer” with the lyrics, “I want to fuck you like an Animal”, but if I stand in an elevator and yell “Fuck you like an Animal” over and over again.. well..then ya look like an asshole.