BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A sorority president at an Alabama university blames an “oversight” for her chapter’s decision to order T-shirts with an image of a black man eating watermelon.
-Do Black Fraternities And Sororities Still Matter?
Samford University officials publicly apologized Friday for the offending shirts printed as keepsakes for the spring formal of Alpha Delta Pi, which could face disciplinary action. The shirts depict a map of Alabama marked with various images — including an illustration of a black man holding a big slice of watermelon.
Lauren Hammond, the sorority’s Samford chapter president, said in a statement that “we failed to focus on the specific images in the design. We are horrified by our oversight.”
-University Of Alabama Approves Integration Of Sororities And Fraternities
Hammond’s statement said sorority members were immediately told not to wear the shirts, which she said were being collected so they could be destroyed.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.