Protest at Philadelphia Catholic college over racially charged video

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is taking motion after a racist video was posted to social media involving college students at St. Hubert Catholic Excessive College. 

A protest was held Wednesday after the discharge of a racially charged video that confirmed a Philadelphia Catholic college pupil spray portray one other pupil’s face black and making racist remarks.

The video at St. Hubert Catholic Excessive College for Ladies has households involved. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is attempting to pinpoint who’s behind the video. Officers consider that it reveals St. Hubert college students, however a spokesperson says that one of many college students within the video just isn’t a St. Hubert pupil.

The archdiocese says the scholars allegedly concerned have been disciplined.

“If they don’t do something, take away your children at present,” one protester mentioned.

CBS Information Philadelphia has blurred the video as a result of it accommodates juveniles and accommodates offensive language.

Within the video, you’ll be able to hear two feminine college students laughing and saying phrases together with “you are a Black lady,” “know your roots, it is February,” “you are nothing however a slave” and “I am Black and I am proud.”

Franklin Towne Constitution Colleges launched a press release in regards to the incident;

“The Franklin Towne Group is each saddened and appalled by the occasions surrounding the racist video that has been on social media. We need to once more take this chance to sentence such a hateful habits and condemn anybody concerned in it. 
Franklin Towne is a faculty that values inclusion and won’t tolerate hate in any method. The previous pupil who took half on this video, and another college students who might select to take part in such a habits don’t have any place at our faculty. The content material of this video doesn’t mirror the values and tradition of our Towne household.”

Demonstrators have been out in entrance of the college in Holmesburg Wednesday morning holding indicators that learn “hate hurts,” “condemn and confront white supremacy,” “the place is your humanity” and “prejudice creates ache.”

“I felt outraged and I felt like I used to be harm for the primary time,” mum or dad Nikole Hines mentioned.

“I simply thought after I noticed the video that it was full ignorance,” protest organizer Adam McNeil mentioned. “I watched and I used to be fully confused that we nonetheless have a lot blatant racism in 2023. After which to know that the scholars not solely made this video in mockery of Black folks in Black Historical past Month however they took the time to ship it to their fellow college students, which to me was the straw that broke the camel’s again.”

“We have now to face collectively as a group to point out that racism just isn’t acceptable in anyplace, whether or not it is in class, whether or not it is in work. However to know that our kids are displaying this racism solely has me query, who’re their dad and mom? What do their dad and mom train them, what’s the decision going to be behind this tragedy?” McNeil added.

McNeil mentioned he needs the scholars to be charged with a hate crime.

“We wish them to know what accountability is, and what accountability seems to be like, and what trauma seems to be like when it’s set upon any individual else that did nothing to you,” McNeil mentioned. “We wish them charged. This can be a hate crime. That is ethnic intimidation.”

“There’s many younger college students that go to this college which can be Black and Brown,” McNeil added. “How do you assume that they really feel on a regular basis now strolling into college understanding that their classmates are racist? And if the college doesn’t dismiss these college students instantly, it simply reveals their lack of worth for their very own Black college students that they’ve right here, and that’s unacceptable.”

Now, the Philadelphia department of the NAACP says it is drafting a letter urging the college to extend training on Black historical past because the group tries to heal.

“When the historical past then you definately’re in a position to perceive it higher,” Catherine Hicks mentioned. “These younger women saying this was carried out as a joke or in jest or no matter, nicely it isn’t humorous in terms of the Black group.”

Dad and mom and former college students sounded off as nicely.

“Take motion,” former pupil Julissa Lewis mentioned. “The ladies which can be within the video shouldn’t be in class. The administration must step their recreation up and put some power into this method. That is tousled….It is actually devastating.”

“It is a various college, I believe they’re actually an ideal group of women,” mum or dad Jennifer Grega mentioned. “And I do not assume a pair younger youngsters’s actions converse of what the college is.”

After the video surfaced, the college’s president and principal launched a press release, saying partially: “We view racism as a mortal sin. There isn’t any place for it in our hearts and minds and there’s no tolerance for such habits at Saint Hubert’s.”

“Please be assured that this matter is being actively investigated,” the Archdiocese of Philadelphia mentioned in a separate assertion. “All these accountable can be disciplined appropriately in accordance with our faculty handbook.”

Right here is the complete assertion from the archdiocese:

“Yesterday, directors from Saint Hubert Catholic Excessive College for Ladies have been made conscious that three members of the coed physique created a racially charged video and shared it on a social media platform. These actions have been undertaken exterior of college and after college hours.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Saint Hubert’s are extraordinarily dissatisfied and disheartened that anybody related with a Catholic college would have interaction in such vile habits.

We acknowledge and perceive that the actions of those college students have reopened societal wounds in a deeply painful approach. These allegedly accountable usually are not current in class and are being disciplined appropriately. The varsity and the Workplace of Catholic Training are conducting an ongoing assessment. Ought to that course of decide involvement by another college students, they may also face disciplinary motion.

We take this chance to be abundantly clear that there is no such thing as a place for hate, racism, or bigotry at Saint Hubert’s or in any Catholic college.  It’s not acceptable below any circumstances or at any time.  Using any racial epithet is inconsistent with our values to deal with all folks with charity, decency, and respect. Not solely is the habits in query a violation of our code of conduct, nevertheless it additionally constitutes a violation of the Accountable Use Coverage of Know-how coverage that applies to college students each inside and out of doors of college.

Our colleges take satisfaction of their lengthy historical past of being welcoming and culturally various communities which empowers younger folks to change into contributing members of the Church and society. 

Previous to this incident, Saint Hubert’s had been working intently with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to supply intensive programming for our faculty that may result in a “No Place for Hate” designation. The varsity is in search of extra assist from the ADL at the moment and can be in search of assets from the Archbishop’s Fee on Racial Therapeutic, which has been actively working all through the five-county Philadelphia area for over a yr.  Counseling companies may also proceed to be out there for any pupil who might want to make the most of them.
Yesterday afternoon, reactionary normal threats have been made towards the security of the Saint Hubert’s college group as results of the video that surfaced on social media. All threats towards any college are taken critically they usually have been instantly reported to legislation enforcement. We’re grateful to the Philadelphia Police Division for his or her robust presence on the Saint Hubert campus at present in addition to their ongoing steering.

Based mostly on recommendation from the PPD, there can be no extracurricular actions on campus for the rest of the week. Out of an abundance of warning and for the welfare of the college group, it would function on a Versatile Instruction Day schedule for the rest of the week. College students can be given assignments to finish at dwelling and their academics can be out there through electronic mail to reply questions.”

Based on its web site, St. Hubert is the most important Catholic women’ college within the metropolis, drawing college students from Philadelphia, the encircling counties in Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

All extracurricular actions have been canceled for the remainder of the week and college students may also have versatile instruction from dwelling out of an abundance of warning because of the threats.

The archdiocese additionally says it is working with the Anti-Defamation League for brand spanking new programming and assist on racial therapeutic.