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The Black college students who were harassed by two White students at the University of Mississippi making monkey gestures and sounds outside their apartment are speaking out after the incident went viral.
The women said they were familiar with the stories of racism some faced at Ole Miss over the years — the school didn’t allow its first Black student, James Meredith, until 1962, for instance — but they were not prepared for what they experienced last Friday.
Jakirya Metcalf, a freshman at Ole Miss, said she was in her apartment last Friday night when she saw the video on her Ring camera.
“We actually went outside and tried to, like, approach them and get them to explain why they did that,” Metcalf told “CBS Mornings.”
“One girl was like, ‘I’m sorry we did that to four doors,'” Victoria Johnson, one of the roommates, said. “And mind you, we didn’t see any one of those doors. It was just ours that was targeted. And she was like, ‘We didn’t mean any harm.'”
Metcalf and Johnson said the first person seen on the video, Aliana Kunes, apologized. But the second person, who made monkey sounds toward the camera, doubled down off-camera.
“She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing,” Johnson said. “It was like a slap in the face.”
“I had said that I don’t think they should go around because even if they go to other people’s door and do that, I don’t think they should do that because it’s very disrespectful,” Metcalf said.
Kunes apologized for her actions in a statement Tuesday.
“To the women I offended and to the Ole Miss community, I sincerely apologize,” she wrote. “Before the incident on November 6, I never met the women involved and was unaware of their race, however, I recognize my actions were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful. I would have never intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of color. I have apologized to the women and I pray they will forgive me.”
Kunes voluntarily withdrew from the university after issuing the statement Tuesday.
When asked if she accepted Kunes’ apology, Metcalf said she had mixed feelings.
“I feel like no matter like who we are, or if she knew our race or not, but the gestures and the voices, I feel like it still was very disrespectful,” she said.
“I appreciate the apology, but I feel like it still doesn’t change what happened on that Friday, because it’s still hurtful and it’s still devastating that someone would come to our camera and do that,” Kaiyden Caldwell, another of the roommates, told “CBS Mornings.”
Johnson’s mother, Chiquita Laó, said she was surprised to learn Kunes withdrew from the university after Kunes said she was harassed.
“I hate to hear that because you know the children are the future, but I feel like everybody needs to be accountable,” Laó said.
University officials said in a statement they are investigating the incident and have reached out to those targeted. Metcalf, Caldwell and Johnson said they plan to stay at Ole Miss and said they won’t let the incident ruin their time at the school.
CBS News reached out to the two other women in the video but did not hear back.
“I want people to be mindful of their actions now,” Johnson said. “So when people who would potentially experience the same situations to speak out and don’t let things be swept under the rug, because this is a reality for us, and I feel like voices need to be heard.”
