We are often told that racism is practically extinct among younger people who were raised in a diverse world, with a Black president and several Black heroes in the sports and entertainment world. But several recent racist incidents at colleges and universities suggest that’s not the case.
The latest racially-charged incident happened at Yale, where Black students claim they were barred from entering a party because of their skin color. According to The Washington Post, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) member at the door turned the girls away, saying, “No, we’re only looking for white girls.”
Although the allegations were denied by Grant Mueller, president of the Yale SAE chapter, several other students have come forward to corroborate the story. Sofia Petros-Gouin, a Columbia student visiting friends at Yale, said she witnessed a SAE member saying “white girls only,” and only letting blonde women into the party.
“I was shocked,” Petros-Gouin told The Washington Post. “I was disgusted.”
Neema Githere, a Yale student, posted a message on Facebook about the SAE chapter’s behavior at the party. Several other students responded to her post with stories of racist behavior by SAE members. A Yale student, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Washington Post he tried to get into the party to look after his friends who had been drinking heavily, but was denied entry because he looked “gay.”
The student said he saw groups of dark-skinned women turned away and one Black woman being physically ejected from the party. He finally managed to get inside and saw “lots of white blond girls.”
“A few Asian girls had got in but I did not see one Black girl at the party,” he said.
Ivonne Gonzalez wrote that she attempted to attend a SAE party with a group of Latino students and was shocked when they demanded to see her passport. This isn’t the first racial incident involving SAE. In March, a video leaked of SAE members at the University of Oklahoma chanting a racist song. The chapter was eventually shut down by the university administration and several students were expelled.
More recently, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the Alpha Phi sorority at UCLA landed in hot water after they threw a “Kanye Western” party where partygoers dressed in clothing depicting Black stereotypes. Parties featuring attendees dressed in offensive outfits are a regular occurrence on college campuses.
