Photo Courtesy of FSU Student Organizations and Involvement
Florida State University (FSU) is a school that is often commended for its diverse and inclusive efforts to make all students from marginalized communities feel welcome. It is considered one of the best predominantly White institutions (PWI) in Florida that does this. However, there has recently been an attack on FSU’s integrity as an inclusive school.
Last Wednesday on Oct. 23, Owen Howard, a White male student, posted on the public FSU 2026 Snapchat story a picture of the Black Greek Life table at Market Wednesday with the text over it that said, “Chimps are going to chimp out.”
The post created a lot of uproar among the FSU student body, as he was an active FSU Honors student. In response to the post, the FSU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) released a powerful public statement declaring that FSU should take action immediately.
The statement thoroughly explains the problem with the derogatory term “chimp,” which has been used throughout history to compare Black individuals to primates and indicate that they are inferior.
The NAACP goes on to explain how the use of this term emphasizes institutionalized beliefs that validate the mistreatment of Black people, stating “...this type of rhetoric, disguised as casual language, is profoundly damaging to the well-being of Black students at FSU.”
The statement then asks that FSU take action by performing an open and public investigation on the student, having mandatory campus-wide educational training to address the problem with this language, and confirming that the school is working to improve the campus safety of marginalized student groups.
FSU responded that due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), they cannot disclose any information regarding their potential investigation into this case. However, the NAACP, along with other students and campus organizations, have made it clear that they want their demands to be answered.
Another aspect of FSU that is often promoted is its history of successful Black women who have made major differences in the school. Names like Doby Flowers, the first Black Homecoming queen, and Jacquelyn Dupont Walker, the first Black female undergraduate student to graduate, are often discussed on campus.
The success of Black women is highly celebrated because of the institutional circumstances that are often pitted against them. Within discussions of intersectionality, many argue that Black women suffer more than other marginalized groups and are often left out of social justice movements.
In an interview with Zionne Cummings, a female Black leader on campus as a part of both the Surge and Homecoming executive boards, Cummings said “I’ve found that authenticity and outspokenness in Black men is celebrated and seen as characteristics of a great leader, while it is perceived as aggression and authoritarian if a Black woman possesses similar traits.”
“Our passion and preservation of our boundaries are misconstrued for aggression, and our grit for hostility,” Cummings said.
Despite the countless systemic obstacles that Black women encounter, many organizations here on campus designed for the promotion and well-being of Black students are led by women. For example, the Black Student Union director, the NAACP chapter president, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council president are all women.
As a campus that claims to protect and promote the diversity of minority groups, women on campus are advocating for the university and the FSU Honors program to take appropriate action against Owen Howard for his act of hate speech.
The NAACP’s Instagram post is full of comments that tag the school, leaving statements such as “Expulsion only” and “This is the time to AFFIRM your black students.” However, FSU continues to remain quiet on the problematic issue.
Commentaires