The OU community gathered on campus Tuesday to express concerns surrounding a racist video that depicts a then-OU student using a racial slur while in blackface.
Eduardo Campbell, one of the rally’s organizers, said the Rally to Stop Racism was held to give students, faculty and staff an open forum to express their frustrations and disappointment with the video and the current administration.
“This will be a point for the administration to take critical feedback seriously and build bridges between the student body and administration,” Campbell said.
Campbell said student leaders planned the rally to ensure that student experiences and emotions were heard by the administration. After the video surfaced on Friday, multiple groups spoke out and called for the administration to take action.
The rally included a lineup of student and faculty speakers, all describing issues involving systemic and institutional racism on campus.
One by one, members of the community took turns expressing distaste for the racist video, adding that its content is divisive and reflects the many problems the university has with institutional racism.
Tyra Jones, human relations junior, was one of the demonstrators in attendance. Jones expressed her support for the rally, but said vocal outbursts during the rally took away from initial reason for gathering.
“People were expressing their feelings and their reactions to the video and other institutions of racism on campus, but I think it got kinda lost and out of hand,” Jones said.
There was an uproar from the crowd after former dean of the College of International Studies Suzette Grillot called for OU President James Gallogly's resignation at the rally.
A’niya Derrick, sociology sophomore, stood up to try and redirect the crowd’s focus following Grillot’s speech, saying that the purpose wasn’t to talk about Grillot’s and Gallogly’s personal problems.
“We’re talking about the Black students and the Native students and the Mexican students who do not feel welcome here,” Derrick said. “We’re not worried about y’alls problems at all … This is ridiculous, focus on the real problems.”
Gallogly said he agreed with Derrick’s words and began to address the crowd once it had been calmed, starting with saying he wasn’t sure if anyone wanted to hear his voice. Gallogly was interrupted several times throughout his speech.
He said he believed there were students who hold hate towards him and want him to fail, and said this was not the OU he knows and loves.
“I have heard harsh words today,” Gallogly says. “I have heard family arguing with family, but we need to have the ability to speak in a civil manner.”
Jones said students will continue to express themselves and their concerns for inclusivity and it starts with refusing to be silent.
“I think Gallogly got lost, too, in what he was trying to say and communicate,” Jones said. “I definitely followed his message of respect and love for each other and for him, but I think he confused love with silence.”
After the rally former dean Grillot said it was inspiring to witness the events of the day.
“It was incredible to see everyone in this community come out and band together and fight for what we know is wrong with university,” Grillot said. “Obviously I am disappointed in President Gallogly’s response, particularly his immediate reaction to say something about me that was totally unrelated to what we were here to do today.”
Jane Irungu, the interim associate vice president of University Community was also in attendance and said she wants more spaces for individuals in the community to express concerns for positive change.
“We cannot let this moment disappear,” Irungu said. “This moment means we have committed ourselves and identified where we have failed.”
Irungu said she and other administrators of the university community have made a strategic plan to combat the issues she heard today.
“We are going to start looking at institutional priorities in equity, inclusion and diversity,” Irungu said. “We do have a strategic plan which is a final draft now and we will present that to the president and see how we can implement this.”
Irungu said she understands the frustrations from the community and hopes to promote a more inclusive social system.
“I hope that moving forward we can create consistent forums and have these community conversations more often so that folks do not have to feel like they are unheard,” Irungu said.
