White fraternity members approached on campus declined to comment on the protests. The Syracuse Intrafraternity Council said it would improve education programs on “issues surrounding racism, implicit bias and sexual assault.”
“The Syracuse University community must realize that these matters of racism do not just surround Greek Life, but are prevalent across the country,” the council said in a statement.
As the protests continued, support from other white students grew.
“I’ve had a great experience at Syracuse, but I’ve definitely been aware of the things students of color are saying,” said Devan Graham, a senior who is white. “It’s kind of a blessing in disguise in a way: These protests have been putting the issues in the faces of the white students.”
Some white students said that they had been taken aback by the racial incidents.
“Being a white student on campus, I’m not as prone to knowing about these things,” said Skylar Swart, a freshman and conservative columnist for the student newspaper, The Daily Orange. “I think a lot of students were shocked.”
The protesters received support from the Syracuse basketball team, with players wearing black T-shirts that said #NotAgainSU before a game last week. Among them was Buddy Boeheim, who is white and the son of the longtime basketball coach, Jim Boeheim.
“We weren’t expecting anyone to back us,” said Ms. Johnson, the black freshman, who was among the protesters at the campus center. “A part of the campus culture has been to ignore racial incidents because they don’t affect them. ”
On what turned out to be the sit-in’s final night, protesters met with the chancellor, administrators and trustees at a public forum at a campus chapel.
