We have an update on the disgusting "banana taunting" incident that targeted members of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at American University.
As previously reported, bananas were hung by nooses on the Washington, D.C. campus with the letters "AKA," representing the Greek organization and "Harambe," clearly alluding to the infamous "monkey" racial slur.
Protests erupted throughout the campus, including a list of demands:
Photo: The Black Print
It looks like the demands have been made, per confirmation via American University's newspaper: American University Provost Scott Bass reportedly arrived at the scene of the protest and verbally agreed to the list of demands. Along with providing the "sanctuary for people of color" and further investigation of racism/discrimination cases, American University administrators agreed to extend final exams for students of color due to the distress caused by this on-campus incident.
Bass also assured protesters that the university recently made a deal with New York Times Bestselling author and historian Ibram X. Kendi (Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America) to establish an anti-racism center on campus.
“There’s nothing more important, in terms of my administration, than being a multicultural campus,” Bass announced to the protesters. “We are interested in getting to the bottom of the issue, and the sooner we can do that, the better,” he continued. “But I will also say that that doesn’t stop our commitment to do more. This is just a minimum … This is not just one incident. It’s a deeper issue in our community.”
Let's hope that the students can continue the rest of their semester in peace and these demands lead to a safer campus community for students of color, in general.