Officials at Wake Forest University have launched an investigation into a “Build the Wall” joke made by a student.
According to a report from The College Fix, officials at Wake Forest University have launched an investigation into a “Build the Wall” joke made by a student. A student posted a satirical student body president campaign on Instagram. “He wants to build a wall between wake and winston salem state. And he’ll make them pay for it,” the post read. Students claim that the joke is an obvious reference to Wake Forest’s rivalry with neighboring Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university.
Wake Forest University President Nathan Hatch addressed the joke in a statement over the weekend. “While the intent of the authors may have been a parody of a national issue, it was deeply offensive and unacceptable,” Hatch wrote. “The impact on the community is widespread and harmful, regardless of the original intent.”
“The message disparaged an institution whose values and mission we embrace and with whom we are building increased collaboration that brings our communities together,” Hatch added.
The Wake Forest University Anti-Racism Coalition condemned the joke. They argued in a tweet that the joke was an example of “white supremacy.”
“ARC has been made aware that the individual in the photo had nothing to do with the messaging attached,” the tweet read. “However, the caption remains an example of white supremacy and those who ARE responsible must continue to be investigated by @WakeForest.”
Andrew Snorton, an alumnus and board member of the Wake Forest School of Divinity, also condemned the joke in a comment to a local news outlet.
“Even if someone did that as a joke, first, it was in poor taste, and second, it was so loaded when you look at the bridge-building both campuses have tried to do,” Snorton said. “It’s a very blatant insult to our peers at Winston-Salem State University.”
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