Apparently Five Other SAE Chapters Knew The Lyrics To The Now Infamous Racist SAE Chant

Jared Borislow10 years ago

After polling every Sigma Alpha Epsilon member in the nation, SAE nationals has concluded that the racist chant that led to the demise of the fraternity’s University of Oklahoma chapter was known by five other chapters prior to its world-famous charter bus a cappella performance.

From Sigma Alpha Epsilon:

With regard to our investigation about the chant in the Oklahoma incident, Sigma Alpha Epsilon polled every collegiate member over the course of several months. We learned there were five chapters that acknowledged hearing the chant in the past five years. However, none of those members who responded said they heard it more recently than 2012, except for the incident at the University of Oklahoma. We provided additional education to those particular chapters on diversity and inclusion to make sure their culture has not deviated from our values and mission. In addition, we cannot confirm that Sigma Alpha Epsilon originated the chant. The fraternity headquarters continues to work with our Director of Diversity & Inclusion to ensure proactive education and awareness for our members.

So four other SAE chapters have had at least one idiot member in the past five years. Not really surprising, seeing as there are complete morons in every group of people (approximately 60% of the world is stupid, from my estimations). Here’s where it gets interesting, though. Back on March 27, 2015, The Washington Post reported the following.

The racist chant that a group of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members sang on a bus this month was brought to the University of Oklahoma four years ago, after members learned it at an annual national SAE leadership event, university officials said Friday.

Now, that news doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure the racist dudes who came up with it (or merely adapted it) thought it was just too clever to not pass on to their SAE buddies at other schools, where they, too, could indulge in the same idiotic backwards thinking that ended up leading to arguably the worst Greek life PR nightmare of all-time.

“Hey, brother — you know that childhood song “If You’re Happy and You Know It?” You’ll never guess what we did with it!!!”

So, they laid it on their fellow brothers at a 2011 SAE leadership conference.

But if it weren’t for the SAE leadership conference? There’s a decent chance this toxic chant may have never made its way to Oklahoma. For all we know, if it was never given the opportunity to spread, it may have died a quick, boring, never-reported-upon death.

What I’m trying to say is that we need to ban mandatory fraternity leadership conferences. And not because they’re boring wastes of time, money, and effort — but because they’re just too dangerous..

[via Sigma Alpha Epsilon, The Washington Post]

Image via OU.edu