NORMAN, okla. — A video of University of Oklahoma fraternity members engaging in a racist chant outraged students across the campus, but its release has sparked a dialogue that many students hope will lead to positive changes at the school.
Protests and rallies have been held every day on the campus in Norman since the release this week of the video, which shows students participating in a chant that referenced lynching and indicates black students would never be admitted to OU’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
On Wednesday, a town hall-style forum on diversity sponsored by the black student group Unheard was planned on campus, and a student spokeswoman for the group said the incident appears to be serving as a catalyst for change.
“Just the students coming together has been a positive for me,” said Alexis Hall, 20, a junior from Houston.
Among the group’s grievances are low numbers of black faculty and administrators, poor retention rates among black students and a lack of programs aimed at supporting black students.
