Blackface At An HBCU

Last Tuesday Prairie View A&M University was trending heavily on social media. However it wasn’t for the excitement of upcoming homecoming activities but for a very distasteful  snapchat picture from a female student in blackface and the caption that went along with it.  The caption reads “When you just tryna fit in at your HBCU.” This was posted by Brooke Merino a freshman soccer player from California. Immediately students took to social media to express their thoughts and anger towards the situation. Since then Brooke has been kicked of off the soccer team and voluntarily left the University. There has been no word if she will return to Prairie View. Today President of the University, George C. Wright and staff held a peace and reconciliation forum for students to express their feelings about the situation as well as get a better understanding of how the University will forward with this matter. Although there has been no word on if Merino will be expelled for school or not campus officials assures the student body that they are taking this matter very seriously. As a PR specialist representing the school I would ensure that my client asset both sides of the situation. Making sure that the school representatives understands only speak on the situation at hand and never to incorporate personal feelings. As well as taking the time to prepare a statement for the public and possible interview questions that may come up.