PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Black UF Students Were 'Manhandled' Off Graduation Stage — And The School Has Responded

Twitter/ChicoFreedom screengrab via Miami Herald

It's a tradition for culturally black sororities and fraternities to "stroll" across the graduation stage and perform their Greek organization's signature dance, but that tradition was interrupted Saturday at the University of Florida by an "aggressive" graduation marshal.

Video footage showed the orange-and-blue clad marshal physically hustling the celebrating students off the graduation stage — at one point bear-hugging a male student and dragging him away. The videos have spread widely on social media, with many critics calling the actions racist.

As criticism mounted, UF's President Kent Fuchs apologized on Twitter on Sunday for being "inappropriately aggressive in rushing students across the stage."

Read more from our news partner, The Miami Herald.

Copyright 2020 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit .

Alex Harris
Madeleine Marr