The ongoing situation regarding the viral video of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon members from the University of Oklahoma adds yet another wrinkle. The Black OU SAE frat house cook is out of a job since the national chapter shut it down, but two crowdfunding campaigns have been robust in the wake of the closure.
The cook, whose full name is Harold Dixon, worked at the OU SAE frat house and was apparently beloved as two SAE alums launched separate crowdfunding pages. In fairness, IndieGoGo campaign starter Blake Burkhart acknowledged that his frat’s racist act was harmful and wants to raise $50,000 on Dixon’s behalf.
More from the IndieGogo page:
Those of you who lived in the house, undoubtedly came to love Howard and his infectious smile (if not his chili dogs). He was always there to chat with you and more importantly, to take care of Mom B.
Well, that man is going to walk up to the SAE house tomorrow morning and hear that he no longer has a job. He is going to learn who has been working for. And through some cruel twist of fate, he has to lose the job that he has held for over a decade. He is going to lose his job because of a bus full of racist kids.
On the “OU sae #HelpHoward” GoFundMe page, the fund’s creator Howard D wrote, “Howard has been a hard-working and loyal employee for over 15 years, always making it in through rain, sleet and snow. He was one of my best friends during my time in the house, and my first thoughts are for him and his family.”
Thus far, the IndieGoGo campaign has raised nearly $40,000 while the GoFundMe campaign has reached nearly $13,000 of its $50,000 goal.
Dixon spoke with CBS News Monday night (Mar. 9) and expressed sadness over the incident. Howard recognized that what the SAE frat members chanted on the bus was “stupid and selfish” but says that he still considers SAE his “family.”
Hopefully Dixon didn’t look the other way over the past 15 years on the job, and that the racist bus chant was an isolated incident.
Still, in every video interview featuring Dixon there appears to be an almost timid and shuffling demeanor that doesn’t lend itself to one who would stand up vocally to racism. To Dixon’s credit, he isn’t forgiving of the n-word SAE chant but he isn’t exactly blasting back with any manner of passion either.
As Dixon said in an interview, those in the original video were new frat members but wouldn’t that mean that chant is part of a welcoming ritual? It all looks a bit suspicious from all sides.
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Photo: GoFundMe
