The video gained 500,000 views in its first week on YouTube. A variety of news outlets including NBC, ABC, BuzzFeed and The Daily Mail Online picked up the story, quoting AL.com columnist A.L. Bailey’s views.
According to Bailey,the video is “worse for women than Donald Trump.” In her column, Bailey claims the video does not accurately depict college life and objectifies the women of Alpha Phi.
In a statement about the video, Deborah M. Lane, associate vice president for university relations, said, “This video is not reflective of UA’s expectations for student organizations to be responsible digital citizens. It is important for student organizations to remember that what is posted on social media makes a difference, today and tomorrow, on how they are viewed and perceived.”
Bailey also called the video “a parade of white girls and blonde hair dye,” a criticism of the video’s, and chapter’s, lack of diversity. The criticism comes after a recruitment period in which 214 minority girls were given bids to various sororities, including 25 African-American women.
It’s not the first time racial issues in the UA sorority system have made national headlines. In 2013, The Crimson White’s The Final Barrier drew national attention after detailing the systematic segregation of the UA sorority system. One year later, the University’s chapter of Chi Omega drew national attention after a member sent a Snapchat containing a racial slur.
While Alpha Phi removed the video from its web pages, numerous news organizations and individuals posted and shared the video online.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story claimed the video featured 72 members of the Alpha Phi chapter. The Crimson White has been unable to confirm this number, and it is possible that number was originally publicized because that is the number of women staying at the Alpha Phi house. The story has been updated to remove this claim – SL
