Texas Basketball Player Taking Heat Over Apparent Blackface Snapchat
A Sam Houston State University (SHSU) basketball player is in hot water after a video of her in what appeared to be blackface makeup was posted on a teammate’s Snapchat account.
Sophomore guard Jenniffer Oramas is shown in the video posted to Snapchat by another SHSU player, Hannah Knight, “sitting on a bathroom countertop wearing blackface makeup, bobbing her head around before looking at the camera and saying ‘black girl Jenn,’ according to a description in the school newspaper, The Houstonian.
It was later shared to Twitter, sending the campus into an uproar. Oramas has deleted her Twitter account and has not made any public statements regarding the video.
Several people captured the video on their Twitter accounts.
Hey @SHSUDanaGHoyt @BearkatSports @SHSU_SGA so this is what yalls scholarship money is going to #shsu pic.twitter.com/gaflKZBidk
— AββY🐉 💫 (@ramizaber2) March 6, 2018
Both the SHSU Athletic Director, Bobby Williams, and school President Dana Hoyt issued responses to the incident:
#SHSU Athletic Director, Bobby Williams, on social media responsibility: “Our program fosters an inclusive environment encouraging respect of diverse backgrounds & ideas. We uphold these core values despite any insensitivity and poor judgement on social media by an individual.”
— Sam Houston State Athletics (@BearkatSports) March 6, 2018
We expect certain behavior from our #SHSU students and greater community that is consistent with our values. It's disappointing when one of our own falls short but it serves as a learning opportunity for us all. This situation is under disciplinary review by the Athletics Dept. https://t.co/lCBuipI5oZ
— Dana G. Hoyt (@SHSUDanaGHoyt) March 6, 2018
The Houstonian reports that Oramas led the team in scoring and assists this season, which saw the team finish with a dismal 4-23 overall record.
Former SHSU football standout PJ Hall leapt to Oramas’ defense on Twitter:
I don’t understand how y’all can fight for this girl to be expelled for this. Y’all really want this girl to fail. I was raised to pray for people so they fix their problems not help help add fuel so they can have their life ruined. I pray for those who do wrong also.
— PJ Hall (@Pjjwatt) March 6, 2018
