The term “PC police” just got real. Earlier this week, a white student at San Francisco State University was stopped by a black student and accused of cultural appropriation.
His crime? Wearing dreadlocks.
Previous reports indicated that the PC aggressor was a university employee, but SF State has since clarified that the altercation was between two students. The incident was recorded by another student who posted the video on YouTube.
In the video, the student sporting the dreads asked why he couldn’t wear them and the female student responded: “Because it’s my culture.”
The young man said dreadlocks were a feature of ancient Egyptian culture and asked the woman if she was Egyptian. Not to be dissuaded, the woman fired back, “wait, where’s Egypt,” presumably referring to the fact that Egypt is an African nation.
Finally, the man tried to end the conversation.
“You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot wear,” he said and started to walk away.
Had the disagreement ended here, it wouldn’t have been particularly noteworthy; just two students engaging in an exchange of ideas. It took a turn however when woman grabbed the man’s arm and physically prevented him from leaving. Students in the background could be seen hurriedly moving past the awkward situation.
“Yo, girl, stop touching me now,” the young man said before he broke free of her grasp and left the area. The young woman then realized she was being filmed the whole time. She turned to the student filming the event and asked, “why are you filming this?” before reaching for the camera at which point the video ends.
San Francisco State University has since acknowledged the video’s authenticity. In addition to clarifying that the woman in the video is not a university employee, the school said in an official statement: “San Francisco State University promotes the rights of the campus community to engage in free speech, but does not condone behavior that impedes the safety or well-being of others. We are taking the matter seriously and will promptly and thoroughly investigate this incident through applicable University channels, including our campus student conduct procedures.”
Watch the footage below:
