The proliferation of smartphones has done wonders for the exposure of corruption, discrimination and other despicable behaviors. Allegations that previously could have been brushed off as fabrication are now often backed up with videos of the accused caught in the act.
Members of the now-nonexistent chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Oklahoma University know what it feels like, having been exposed by a cell video posted Sunday on YouTube.
It shows tuxedoed members on a bus, presumably headed to a formal, gleefully chanting, “There will never be a n*****r in SAE!” One grinning brother stands up and pumps his fist in the air for the chorus: “You can hang him from a tree, but he’ll never sign with me!”
To simply label this “racist” is a gross understatement. There are two possible interpretations of the song: Members of OU SAE would prefer seeing a black man murdered to seeing their letters on him, or they are so comfortable with our country’s history of lynching that, to them, it’s a complete joke. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter which interpretation — the people caught singing this chant on video probably sit somewhere between the two. To enjoy a song like that requires the kind of thinking that endorses racial violence.
This makes one wonder how long things like this have gone on in secret, at OU and probably at many other universities — including our own. For many fraternities, this kind of racism plays no part. But nasty stories like this one do surface often enough to the point where they’re not exactly a surprise, either. Indeed, viewers have pointed out how the song seems like a traditional one, and at least one former SAE member said the chant was used at his Texas university.
OU President David Boren will leave no room for SAE to escape. He made a statement yesterday that severed all ties with that chapter of SAE, “effective immediately.” Brothers have to move their belongings out of the house, now closed.
Boren showed none of the reluctance university authorities usually display when dealing with incidents like these. Traditionally, they condemn the actions of individuals and might require the organization to attend diversity training. That was how President Bernie Machen responded to the verbal harassment of a black woman from the porch of UF’s Alpha Tau Omega house two years ago.
Pressure from members and donating alumni often shield disgraceful houses from the justice they deserve. It’s a situation so ingrained, many have wondered for years what sort of behavior would actually be punished. It seems like they finally have an answer.
Boren’s swift and righteous reaction should be the standard in cases like this. Sadly, even in 2015, it’s still a bold one.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 3/10/2015]
