The OU Black Emergency Response Team announced the resignation of their co-director and co-founder Jamelia Reed in a Thursday Instagram post.
Reed, a women's and gender studies and African American studies senior, resigned following the advice of medical professionals over the summer.
“We are sad to see them go, but are so grateful for their leadership, commitment and activism,” the BERT post read. “We love you Jamelia and wish you the best in all your future endeavors! BERT and the black community as a whole thank you for your dedication to social justice and drive to seek equality both on and off campus.”
BERT was formed in 2019 after OU Tri Delta members were filmed in blackface and using a racial slur. Since then, BERT has responded to a number of racist incidents on campus, including two professors who used racial slurs in class, and it held a sit-in which ended in some demands being met by university administration.
Reed said in an interview with The Daily their time with BERT was a memorable experience that allowed them to meet many different people and bring change to OU’s campus.
“It was really humbling, and I (was) really honored to just be in a position that serves the community,” Reed said. “Just being able to step back and leave it in the hands of current BERT (members) just makes me really happy.”
In their posted resignation letter, Reed thanked their fellow BERT members and expressed love and appreciation to the Black community for their “support, honesty and critique.” They wrote they hope the university community and its administration will continue to “support, respect and collaborate” with BERT.
BERT Director D’India Brown said in an interview with The Daily that Reed changed her life.
“(They) helped me discover my passion in activism and social justice work. … To have met Jamelia as a co-director has been life changing, but to know (them) as a friend has been impactful beyond words can describe,” Brown said.
Brown said Reed’s resignation was a “great loss,” and the organization is glad Reed’s health was being treated as a top priority.
“With my departure I am self-assured that the Black Emergency Response Team will continue to be a collective, composed of Black student leaders whose mission is to confront racism, and various oppressive structures, that affect the Black community specifically, and marginalized communities at large, on campus,” Reed wrote. “I have been honored to serve you all as Co-Director, and you will always have my support and best wishes.”
The future for BERT is positive and full of “great ideas, temporary shifts and changes,” Reed said, and they have confidence in handing off the responsibilities of co-director to other team members.
“Just keep believing and changing what is the status quo today, and improving all you can for the OU community,” Reed said. “No idea is too big, right?”
