Focus at Four – A&M student body president responds to racial slur incident

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that chancellor John Sharp phoned state Sen.

The girls who attend Uplift Hampton Preparatory said that what happened was offensive, but they also said what happened was a sad fact of life – even in the 21st century. West said in a statement, adding that the incidents have all been triggered by “a climate of racially tinged conflict and other acts of intolerance”.

The students were on Uplift schools’ annual “Road to College” tour for all juniors, spokeswoman Sara Ortega said.

A line of people wait for former U.S. President George W. Bush to give a talk about his book “41: A Portrait of My Father” in the George Bush Presidential Library Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, TX November 11, 2014. The Uplift student responded something to the effect of, “You do realize we’re all black, right?” and walked away; faculty supervisors say they heard the A&M students use a racial slur as the group walked away.

Young, president at the university since May, wouldn’t comment on whether the A&M student being investigated was in that group or was the other student with the earrings.

“But we don’t want to dismiss the fact there were racial slurs”, said Daisy Rangel, junior, Uplift Hampton Prep.

About 60 students from a southwest Dallas charter school reported they were taunted by students on campus during a visit Tuesday.

According to Young, a group of administrators and students from campus met with the visiting high school group to “assure them that they are welcome and respected by the vast majority of Aggies”.

A water tower on the campus of Texas A&M in College Station reads “Welcome to Aggieland” on January 31, 2011.

A short time later other A&M students yelled racial slurs at a different group of students. The A&M student asked the high school students what they thought about her Confederate flag earrings.

Uplift CEO Yasmin Bhatia said in a statement that they are “deeply disappointed” in the alleged events but proud of how the Uplift students responded with “grace and composure”. “This type of behavior goes against our A&M core values and in addition to immediate intervention, Texas A&M has a website available for the reporting of any non-emergency hateful or biased-based incidents”.

“While we appreciate the swift response of the Texas A&M leadership, it is my hope that we broaden the conversation at colleges locally and across the country about increasing inclusion and cultural awareness programs so that all students can feel safe and welcome regardless of their ethnicity”, Bhatia said. We as educators need to come together for the betterment of all students and work collaboratively to ensure that all students feel accepted and supported while in college.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune.