University of Mississippi investigates viral video of students making racist gestures

The University of Mississippi has launched an investigation after a video surfaced online showing two white female students making racist monkey gestures outside an apartment. The Guardian reported that freshman Jakiyra Metcalf uploaded the surveillance clip from her apartment door to TikTok on Saturday. ABC News, CBS News, and WREG.com also confirmed that university officials launched an investigation and condemned the video. [1][3][4][5]

The Guardian reported that the video showed one woman thumping her chest and babbling like a monkey, while another woman jumped into the view of the camera to mimic monkey noises. The women in the video are reportedly the upstairs neighbors of three Black students, including Metcalf. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the incident took place on Friday outside an apartment shared by three Black University of Mississippi students. [1][10]

The footage attracted widespread attention across social media platforms after it was posted. The Guardian reported that the uploaded video on TikTok has received nearly 13 million views and sparked outrage over its racist connotations. [1]

A university is an institution of higher education and research that awards academic degrees across multiple disciplines. Mississippi is a southern United States state featuring fertile Delta plains in the northwest and coastal plains along the Gulf. [6][9]