Students at the University of Oklahoma held a sit-in hunger strike Wednesday in response to two incidents this month in which professors said the N-word in class.
OU’s Black Emergency Response Team organized the demonstration in administrative building Evans Hall and is demanding the resignation of Provost Kyle Harper “effective immediately,” the student-run OU Daily reported.
The protest comes after history professor Kathleen Brosnan “repeatedly” said the N-word in her class while reading a historical document, interim university President Joseph Harroz said in a statement Monday. Earlier this month, another professor, Peter Gade, used the racial slur in a comparison to the phrase “OK, boomer.”
“It is common sense to avoid uttering the most offensive word in the English language, especially in an environment where the speaker holds the power,” Mr. Harroz said in his statement.
Protesting students met Wednesday morning with Dean of Students David Surratt and Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Belinda Higgs Hyppolite for about 40 minutes to discuss their demands, the Daily reported.
BERT member Destinee Dickson emerged from the meeting declaring that the sit-in would not end anytime soon, the Daily reported.
In addition to Mr. Harper’s firing, the students are demanding the creation of a multicultural center “for all marginalized groups” on campus, a mandatory semester-long course to replace the current one-time diversity training class for students, and mandatory equity training for faculty members.
Campus police told the Daily that it’s not their decision how long a protest will be allowed to continue.
