Brian Kayume, the University of Guyana (UG) student who is featured on a now viral video making racist jokes, says he is being victimised despite his numerous apologies.
Kayume told Stabroek News on Sunday that while he posted the video, he took it down shortly after.
“I realise it was really bad and that’s why I took it down,” he explained.
However, he said another UG student had already saved the video and reposted it. “She told me that she has nothing against me but that she felt as though she needed to post it,” he noted, explaining how the video became viral after he had already deleted it.
Not too long after the video was posted, the teen made an apology video which he also uploaded to one of his social media accounts. The apology video was not received well. In his apology, he justified why he saw no reason for the backlash he was receiving and touched on the fact that other people make “racist jokes” all the time but when he did the same, he ended up being victimised.
Kayume said he was not trying to seem condescending in his apology and that people took his words the wrong way. “Because look at it this way: I spoke to my (Afro-Guyanese) friends after the video was out and they said they understand and laughed it off but everybody else look at it and try to victimise me for it,” he noted.
He further said that he apologised two times through written letters after the apology video was released but he is still receiving threats.
In a statement released last Thursday, UG said it viewed “the recent utterances purported to have been made by one of our young students” with deep concern.
“The University notes that the student has already voluntarily recanted his statements and apologised publicly. We would hope that he would now be allowed to reflect and consider the consequences of his actions and to grow past this moment. Our staff will continue to work with him and any others to identify the triggers and any underlying factors to be addressed which could have led to this outburst,” it said.
It added that it aspires to be a model for the nation and all of its constituents, including staff and students, are reminded of its values, including a total rejection of all forms of bigotry and discrimination.
UG appealed to those sharing the video to consider not doing so, while explaining that it may unintentionally perpetuate the utterances and behaviours being decried. “We had been planning a series of internal and public interventions for the next few months and this incident has now brought them back into sharp focus,” it added.
Asked what was going through his mind after the video was posted, Kayume said that was the reason he took it down as he felt bad. “I would like to take this time to once again apologise to the public and communities I offended in the videos,” he added.
President of the University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS) Jafar Gibbons said that while there had been a vote in favour of suspending Kayume from classes, he might be given counselling instead and that internal and public interventions would be made to address racial tensions that exist.
Kayume said he had not been informed of any decision and added that if he does get suspended, he would gladly take the time to “find a good middle ground.” He added that he believes that time off from classes is much needed, especially with everything going on.
Kayume also pointed out that he has noticed that some persons want him to be expelled, but he thinks that such a penalty would be disproportionate. “I won’t mind taking a break from classes because this is mentally messing with my head but expulsion is completely out,” he added.
