A group of white students who painted themselves to look black skinned during a frosh week activity are drawing attention for alleged racism.
The students assembled in the stands of the University of Montreal stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
They brought Jamaican flags, chanted “Smoke some weed! Yeah mon!” and at least one was seen with a stuffed monkey.
“I was absolutely horrified when I saw it,” said McGill University law student Anthony Morgan, 25, who is black and of Jamaican descent.
He began filming when he saw the students.
View Morgan’s videos:
The University of Montreal says it rented its football stadium to the H.E.C. and is trying to find out what happened.
Morgan said the activity was meant to raise awareness of different activities on campus. The students who painted themselves black were apparently trying to get people to join the track and field team.
“I felt embarrassed….. My feelings were deeply hurt,” he said.
“If that wasn’t offensive enough – the full fledged black face and the costume – people were wearing rasta hats and chanting, ‘Let’s smoke more weed, ya mon, ya mon’,” he said.
Morgan added he doesn’t think alcohol was involved, given that the students took part in sporting activities beforehand.
The law student says he plans to file a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission.
McGill’s black law student organization, which Morgan is part of, will also be contacting the black law student association at the University of Montreal to set up workshops and open discussion around what happened.
Dan Phillip of the Black Coalition in Montreal says what’s most upsetting is the number of students involved in the incident.
“I think it’s unthinkable in a society like ours,” he added.
With files from Global Montreal reporter Anne Leclair.
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