Kansas State students are reacting online to Jaden McNeil, a third-year political science student and president of America First Students at K-State, after a series of Twitter posts that led community members to consider racist and callous.
On Thursday, McNeil tweeted, “Congratulations to George Floyd for being drug-free for an entire month!”
Congratulations to George Floyd for being drug free for an entire month!
– Jaden McNeil (@McNeilJaden) June 25, 2020
Floyd died in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, sparking protests against police brutality and racism in all 50 states and around the world.
Several students reacted to McNeil’s recent tweet, including members of the K-State soccer team. Two players said they may not return to the show because of McNeil’s comment: first-year defender Tee Denson and second-year wide receiver Joshua Youngblood.
I refuse to play for a program that tolerates ignorance like this … @KState https://t.co/KfFN14t6sR
– tee (@teedenson) June 26, 2020
“[I] refusing to play for a show that tolerates ignorance like this, “Denson said, quoting McNeil on Twitter.
Youngblood responded similarly, saying, “I won’t be back until I kick @KState,” in a now-deleted tweet.
And is he going to kstate? Naw sum has to change now fr. @KState, everyone should do something https://t.co/FZStP7Uf3B
– Joshua Youngblood (@ YB060) June 26, 2020
A petition for the university to remove McNeil’s student organization from campus has garnered several thousand signatures, and a protest against America First Students is planned for August. These actions were taken by K-State students before McNeil’s tweet about Floyd on Thursday.
At the time of publication, McNeil had not responded to the Collegian’s request to comment on the matter.
Provocative from the start
McNeil first came to the attention of the Internet in August 2019, when he said in a now unavailable tweet that K-State was “forcing” him to take a “diversity class.”
“I can’t decide what anti-white male class to take,” McNeil wrote, listing Queer Studies, Women of Color Policy and African American Perspectives as class options.
“He doesn’t really like the idea of a satanic professor lecturing him on why he’s totally fine and it’s normal for men to want to cut their d * cks or why every problem our society faces is due to the ‘white man’ “McNeil added in the now archived tweet thread.
McNeil is the former president of the K-State chapter of Turning Point USA, and founded America First Students, an independent student organization.
AFS does not currently appear in the K-State directory of student organizations at OrgCentral, although it does appear in the 2020-2021 enrollment progress document from the Center for Student Engagement. The group appears to be missing an advisor acknowledgment form, which prevents them from being officially recognized as a student organization.
Related:
New student organization forces campus leaders to consider freedom of expression, community principles
Read now
Created in the early spring semester of 2020, AFS has not existed without contention.
In February, the Kansas City Star reported on the new organization and its links to white nationalism, citing a report from the Institute for Research and Education in Human Rights.
In the report, IREHR lists Nick Fuentes, a YouTuber and podcaster, and Patrick Casey, who is associated with the American Identity Movement previously called Identity Evropa, as the two mobilizers behind an attempt to “change the name of white nationalists. under a new banner of ‘groypers’. “
IREHR later detailed McNeil’s ties to white nationalism. In a February 27 report, IREHR writers Chuck Tanner and Devin Burghart reported that “Jaden McNeil has been involved, not with two, but with four different participants in the murderous white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“White nationalists provided even more guidance to McNeil in the formation of America First Students at Kansas State University than IREHR originally reported,” Tanner and Burghart continued. McNeil was warned by conservative peers about aligning himself with a ‘Nazi’ like Nick Fuentes, but chose to ignore the warnings. … McNeil made crude homophobic comments, calling the LGBTQ + community ‘degenerate’ and using anti-LGBTQ + slander during an interview. It has also expressed hostility towards diversity and immigrants. “
Students respond to AFS
In addition to Denson and Youngblood, other K-Staters have responded to McNeil’s social media. On June 5, the person behind the “America Worst Students” Twitter account (@StudentsWorst) created a Change.org petition asking the university to remove the group. At the time of publication, the petition had more than 2,800 signatures.
“Jaden McNeil and his group America First Students have been allowed to spread their hate rhetoric on campus and online,” the petition says, in part, “using McNeil’s virality among the well-known white nationalist group the Groypers to attack. various organizations and events on campus. ” , including The Collegian, KSU Democrats, K-State College Republicans, The Annual K-State Drag Show and others. “
Account holder @StudentsWorst is a K-State student who expressed to the Collegian that he wants to remain anonymous due to personal safety concerns.
The “Kansas State University Ban America First Students” petition was created the same day that university president Richard Myers responded to stories of racism on campus shared through the hashtag #BlackAtKState.
President Myers responds to #BlackatKState posts. pic.twitter.com/cmfTzizNxC
– K-State (@KState) June 5, 2020
“If President Myers is serious about ending racism at K-State, or even just taking the K-States Community Principles (which the United States constantly violates) that Jaden McNeil and America First have to go,” says the petition.
When the Multicultural Commission expanded the #BlackAtKState discussion with a video, its members called for the abolition of a “white nationalist group on campus,” which Tori Swanson, a senior in American psychology and ethnic studies, later identified as America First Students.
THE #BLACKATKSTATE VIDEO IS HERE! Many thanks to all the brave voices who were willing to speak when many did not! We appreciate you! Read our organization’s response below! 🤎 pic.twitter.com/IiP3VqpENh
– just call me tori (@toriel_imani) June 17, 2020
“Kansas State Cannot Proudly Be a Diverse Campus While Running America First [rampant] all around campus, ”Swanson said earlier.
Additionally, McNeil’s tweets sparked a pending protest. Originally slated for Friday, a “Protest Against America’s First Students” is planned for August 12, according to the Facebook event page.
“Their leader and ideals are basically focused on white nationalism,” Miranda Urban, organizer and senior social worker, said of America First Students.
Urban said he organized the future protest because he saw the #BlackAtKState video and the petition.
“K-State has basically taken no overall action with the Black Lives Matter movement,” Urban said.
Due to an increase in local COVID-19 cases and the fact that many students are away from Manhattan this summer, Urban delayed the protest.
“I would hate for the increases or spikes to be attributed to any kind of protest,” Urban said.
For the August protest, most likely held in Triangle Park, as originally planned, Urban said she wants “speakers to share their stories,” and is interested in finding more ways to amplify and advocate for black voices on campus.
“It should not be the job of black students to tell the student body not to be racist, but it is the job of the university to take all necessary measures to ensure that racism is not tolerated,” said Urban. “They just keep talking, but they don’t really show any action on it.”
A word from the administration
Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Thomas Lane responded to the online outrage from students regarding McNeil.
I am aware of the Twitter post of a K-State student. The lack of basic decency and caring for how this publication would affect others, especially our black students, teachers, and staff who are already suffering emotionally from the recent incidents of violence against blacks, is disgraceful and appalling.
– Thomas Lane (@ThomasALane) June 26, 2020
“I am aware of a K-State student posting on Twitter,” reads Lane’s tweet. “The lack of basic decency and care about how this publication would affect others, especially our black students, teachers, and staff who are already suffering emotionally from the recent incidents of violence against blacks, is shameful and appalling.
“K-State condemns the publication in the strongest terms,” Lane continued. “It does not reflect who we are as confirmed by the outrage expressed by so many members of the campus community. Intolerance, prejudice and racism have no place here. “
Lane added that students impacted by the tweet can contact student resources like the Counseling Services and the Office of Student Life.
“We condemn racism and intolerance in all its forms,” President Myers said in a tweet. “We are launching an immediate review of college options. Black Lives Matter at Kansas State University and we will continue to fight for social justice. ”
