The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is hosting a campus town hall meeting Monday night that will address a student's recent racially insensitive social media post, the school said.
Administrators and student leaders will discuss a Snapchat screenshot shared on social media last month that shows a student in "black face makeup." The meeting will take place in room 202 of the Hillside Auditorium at 7 p.m., according to a news release on the school's website.
The photo showed a white male in apparent blackface, Arkansas Online previously reported. It included the caption, “I hope this offends someone,” and a "Wakanda Forever" filter referencing the Black Panther film.
Brendan Cook, president of the school's Black Students Association, will act as moderator.
"Many of us believe this situation is something we cannot tolerate here on our campus," Cook said in the release. "The question then is 'what do we do now?' The purpose of this town hall is to help resolve tension by establishing effective communication between students and the administration. Our goal is to strengthen the relationships between us as a Razorback family. This may also be an opportunity for students to voice their experiences on campus, experiences that many may be unfamiliar with."
Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz is one of the panel's members. When the photo was shared, he wrote on Twitter that UA "supports an inclusive community today and every day that welcomes and supports a diversity of people, ideas and perspectives."
The student who made the original post was identified as UA freshman Jacob Edwards in the school's student newspaper, the Arkansas Traveler. Some students reportedly took to social media to express their anger at Edwards.
Edwards told the newspaper he regrets making the post but does not think the response is justified.
"Offense is taken, not given, and I did nothing illegal," he said. "The threats I've received for assault and alluding to my death, however, are very illegal. I am willing to make a public apology to attempt reprimanding the situation. But I am in no way responsible for how people interpret me or my actions. That's all up to them."
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.