{"id":118599,"date":"2019-03-07T07:49:08","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T04:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ww-vb.mine.nu\/w108\/students-at-vols-basketball-game-protest-blackface-refuse-to-stand-for-anthem\/"},"modified":"2019-03-07T07:49:08","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T04:49:08","slug":"students-at-vols-basketball-game-protest-blackface-refuse-to-stand-for-anthem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hameed.nwar.uk\/sa\/students-at-vols-basketball-game-protest-blackface-refuse-to-stand-for-anthem\/","title":{"rendered":"Students at Vols basketball game protest blackface, refuse to stand for anthem"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I thought long and hard about posting this but it hit an emotional spot for me for people to think that i did not EARN what was given to me because of my race. pic.twitter.com\/5ulc1X3jUC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 jas (@jxxsie_) February 28, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Students at the University of Tennessee staged a protest this week during a men\u2019s basketball game \u2014 wearing all black and refusing to stand for the national anthem \u2014 in response to the school\u2019s handling of a recent blackface incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo justice, no peace, no racist UT,\u201d the students chanted. \u201cWhat do we want? Expulsion! When do we want it? Now!\u201d<\/p>\n

The demonstration went down Tuesday night during the school\u2019s home game against Mississippi State, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Students who took part said they were protesting against a reported decision by UT to not immediately discipline two of their classmates \u2014 who got caught wearing blackface last week in a Snapchat photo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe for racial equality boys,\u201d a caption said, accompanying the image.<\/p>\n

\u201cBout to get this free college now that I\u2019m black let\u2019s gooooo #blacklivesmatter.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to reports, at least four students were involved, but only two could be seen wearing black paint on their faces.<\/p>\n

A Twitter user and UT student with the handle @jxxsie_ posted a message on Feb. 28 from a young man who was in the photo \u2014 apologizing \u2014 after it went viral.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were putting on charcoal face masks to help with acne, and I decided to write a joke that was certainly not funny in the least,\u201d the message said. \u201cIt was immature, and it doesn\u2019t reflect my personality and I am so so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

UT officials spoke to students and staff at a meeting on Monday and told them they\u2019d be \u201cdetermining\u201d ways to handle the incident \u2014 calling it \u201crepulsive.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, they flat-out admitted that expulsion was unlikely.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would be hard-pressed to expel a student for expressing their First Amendment rights,\u201d said Vice Chancellor for Student Life Vince Carilli, according to the News Sentinel.<\/p>\n

One of the four students involved \u2014 Ethan Feick, 19, of Spring Hill, Tenn. \u2014 reportedly withdrew from UT this week amid the backlash.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe university took no punitive action,\u201d Feick\u2019s brother, Wylan, told the News Sentinel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The young man left \u201con his own accord,\u201d according to Wylan.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if he was one of the two students wearing blackface, but the News Sentinel reports that it was Feick who wrote the Twitter message last week, apologizing.<\/p>\n

Interim Chancellor Wayne Davis on Wednesday announced a series of changes to university policy and the school\u2019s Code of Conduct, which will hopefully help \u201censure the leadership of the university takes the steps necessary to heal our community and rebuild your trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n