Oklahoma to resume practice next week after protesting racist video
The Oklahoma football team is set to resume spring practice on Monday after canceling practices last week to protest a video showing members of a campus fraternity singing racist songs, the school announced.
Oklahoma president David Boren banned the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity from campus and ordered members to move out of their residence. Boren also expelled two students that were identified on the video.
Members of the football team chose not to practice during the week of March 9, instead showing up on campus during the week wearing black and walking arm-in-arm to participate in a silent protest against the fraternity's actions. Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops and athletic director Joe Castiglione joined the players in the protest.
The team released a statement on March 12 saying “as a team, our goal first and foremost is to raise awareness of racism and discrimination on college campuses nationwide" and added that they couldn’t “wait to get back on the practice field in our pursuit of a national championship."
“We are all excited to start spring ball,” Stoops said. “They have worked hard and have had a great attitude, the guys have had a good winter…and everyone is anxious to get on the field.”
Boren and Castiglione are expected to meet with the team captains after their return from spring break.
Oklahoma’s spring game is April 11. The team will open the season on Sept. 5 against Akron.
- Scooby Axson
