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OU Students, Faculty Makes Their Voices Heard While Trying To Figure Out ‘Why Did This Happen?’

NORMAN (KFOR) — In response to the video of SAE’s racist chant, hundreds of students marched from the OU Huffman Fitness Center to the former SAE fraterni...
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NORMAN (KFOR) — In response to the video of SAE’s racist chant, hundreds of students marched from the OU Huffman Fitness Center to the former SAE fraternity house Tuesday. They chanted “Not on our campus!” while holding a banner that had their fingerprints imprinted on the paper.

A dialogue of racism has opened up in Norman. Some are responding with hate, others with silent solidarity. We took a look at what some say could be the root of racist chants in 2015.

NewsChannel 4 stood near the OU campus with one question, “Why do you think it happened?”

“Drunk, date party,” one student said.

“They hear other people being racist, they think that they have to conform to the group,” another student said.

“It’s 2015, I don’t understand why would happen. I don’t know,” another student said.

Most people won’t understand why these chants erupted on an OU SAE bus.

“If, in fact, these young men were, or are, truly hardcore racist, then they would’ve been acting the stuff out,” George Henderson, the third black full-time faculty member ever at OU said.

“All of my life I’ve been black, all of my life I’ve had to deal with racism. So if as old as I am now, I’m surprised by this, then I’m a black man who’s been sleepwalking,” Henderson says.

He says racism is alive.

“I was involved in the civil rights movement and the correct response for me happens to be nonviolence,” Henderson said.

People are presented with a chance to make this a teaching moment.

“What experience have you had with people like me because when we talk, many students realize that these were never my ideas. I don’t know why I dislike you or people like you,” Henderson says.

This is a path to start unity and understanding.

“How many years does it take to really reach the point where we are beyond this perhaps never,” Henderson said.

Perhaps, we asked if loving the enemy worked during his civil rights experience.

“I’m here, yes I’m exhibit A,” Henderson said.

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