Hey guys, what was the hottest trend of 2017, and now 2018 as well? Virulent, public racism, unfortunately! From the Charlottesville march last summer to the Senate candidacy of Roy “Slavery Was Great” Moore to Trump calling most of Africa a “sh*thole,” people just seem to think it’s okay to have extremely racist thoughts and views, and then share those with the world at large.
The latest exemplifier of this sorry trend is Harley Barber, a 19-year-old University of Alabama student. Via the Instagram handle of “spookyslut_”, Barber posted some nasty videos of herself saying awful things about African-American people and using the n-word, repeatedly. “I don’t care if it’s Martin Luther King Day,” Barber said. (Yeah, she did it on MLK Day.) Who did care was the University of Alabama, who expelled her, as did her sorority, Alpha Phi.
After the videos went viral, and Barber became a pariah, she received threatening phone calls and later issued an apology. “I feel horrible,” Barber said. “I feel so, so bad and I am so sorry.” Deemed too racist to stay in Alabama, Barber returned home to New Jersey. Her mother, Jill Barbera, has opened up to the media with her thoughts on her daughter’s actions. In true mom fashion, Barbera isn’t mad…she’s just very hurt and very disappointed.
“I agree with the punishment,” Barbera said to NJ.com, referring to the two-pronged expulsion from sorority and school. “I fully support their decision.” She added that, “This is not a reflection of how she was raised. “She’s just degrading herself and it breaks my heart. I hope someone can look at this and learn. I don’t want anyone to feel what I feel.”
Barber’s mom may be heartbroken, but people on Twitter are justifiably angry.