Students at a leading British university are using a “traumatic” incident – a banana with the words “monkey” and “n*gga” found on campus – to lobby for sweeping positive discrimination and a more left wing and “liberated curriculum”.
Over a thousand students have now signed the petition started by the ‘Anti Racism’ society at the University of Warwick, a top ranked British University.
The students call for massive changes to their “Eurocentric” curriculum, which they say is “based on the white male cis experience” and demand more “senior roles and [student union] positions” are handed to non-white students.
The petition insists the entire institution “be held accountable for racism within its walls”, after a black student tweeted a picture of a bunch of bananas with the words “monkey” and “n*gga” written on them.
https://twitter.com/ZombieNeith/status/717427483507892224
The student responsible did not make a complaint to university authorities about the “rampant and abusive racism” before advertising it on social media, and many have called into question the veracity of her claims.
“Just entered the kitchen and look at what one of my flatmates has [allegedly] done. I am extremely disgusted”, tweeted Faramade Ifaturoti, a 19 year old, first-year student of biomedical science.
@Faramade_ we're really sorry you've had to experience this, it is completely unacceptable – please DM us your email + we will escalate
— University of Warwick (@warwickuni) April 5, 2016
The university released a statement after journalists contacted them on Tuesday, saying they were aware that, “a racist incident has been widely reported on social media,” and promised to be investigating it “as a matter of urgency.”
“Only subsequent to huge social media pressure was this racist attack deemed as ‘urgent’, leading them to investigate the situation”, the girl’s flatmate, Jere Agbaje, told the Independent.
Mr. Agbaje also said that Ms. Faramade would be moving to a new flat as a result of the incident. Others online have said a pre-existing desire to move may present a motive for fabricating the incident.
Minority students face micro-aggressions daily. It takes someone writing on a banana for us to finally be taken seriously #WeStandWithFara
— Ore (@oray_cole) April 5, 2016
The hashtag #WeStandWithFara has been trending on Twitter for nearly two days now.
“For as long as slavery is still taught and referred to, racism cannot subside”, tweeted one student.
“Minority students face micro-aggressions daily. It takes someone writing on a banana for us to finally be taken seriously”, added another at Warwick.
The ‘Anti-Racist’ society also used the incident to propagate their views on European politics and mass migration.
“Look at the shift to the right in social attitudes right across Europe as a result of this refugee crisis”, they wrote, claiming that, “having a British passport or other won’t protect us from the – often more visceral – discrimination to be encountered there”, demanding the University do “something”.
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