Women love to call the morbidly obese black singer Lizzo “beautiful,” and “inspiring,” but God forbid you pay them the ultimate compliment and tell them they resemble Lizzo. Richard Hanania put it best on Twitter, writing:
Ole Miss bros chant “Lizzo” at large anti-Israel protestor. It’s funny how everyone knows this is an insult, because Lizzo is a kind of affirmative action celebrity. If they chanted “Rhianna” [sic] at a girl who resembled her it wouldn’t make sense as an insult.
Ole Miss bros chant “Lizzo” at large anti-Israel protestor.
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) May 3, 2024
It’s funny how everyone knows this is an insult, because Lizzo is a kind of affirmative action celebrity. If they chanted “Rhianna” at a girl who resembled her it wouldn’t make sense as an insult. pic.twitter.com/pYOPofnkj3
Oh, it’s an insult alright. But what’s happening to white frat brothers who dared make fun of this corpulent black woman is even more insulting and a reminder of the power of Black-Run America (BRA).
Ole Miss student kicked out of fraternity for making racist gestures toward protester, SuperTalk.fm, May 6, 2024
The Ole Miss Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter has removed the student spotted making gestures mirroring those of a primate toward a Black woman during a pro-Palestine protest from its organization.
The move comes after a viral video included multiple counter-protestors accosting Jaylin Smith, a Black female student, with one student most notably mocking her in a way that appeared racially charged.
The student in the video has been identified by the NAACP’s Ole Miss chapter as James “JP” Staples from Texas.
In response to the student’s actions, Phi Delta Theta kicked the student out of its organization and issued the following statement:
“Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters is aware of the video regarding the student protest at the University of Mississippi. The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter. The responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3.”
Additionally, the Ole Miss NAACP has called for the university to expel Staples as well as Connor Moore, Jr., and Rouse Bouce for their alleged actions during the protest. Moore and Bouce were seen wearing American flag overalls and waving a “Trump for President” flag during Thursday’s rally.
No students have been expelled at this time. University officials have also confirmed that no arrests were made during the protests as there were no instances of physical violence. However, Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce has acknowledged that the optics of a student making derogatory gestures toward a person of color is counterproductive in the university’s efforts to move forward from a troubled past that included a mob of angry white individuals confronting U.S. Marshals to prevent James Meredith’s admission in 1962.
A student conduct investigation has been opened by university officials. Boyce confirmed that leaders are seeking to determine whether more cases are warranted.
There is no power greater on this earth than when implicit whiteness becomes explicit whiteness. Every action of our leaders—in every position of power across the USA, be it public or private—exists to stop this moment from coming to fruition. In the spontaneous chants of “Lizzo… Lizzo… Lizzo,” at a fat black woman on the campus of Ole Miss, the fire rises.
