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Columbia Student Speaks Out About Racism

This is the moment a Columbia University student was pinned down by a public safety officer after he refused to show his I.D. 🤔He sat down with Brut to talk about the viral video and racism on college campuses.

Columbia Student Speaks Out About Racism

This Columbia University student is making a point about racial bias after being pinned down by campus security. Alexander McNab was leaving a dance practice by a student group that he participated in at Columbia and had seen somebody posted on Facebook that there was some extra food from an event on the other side of the street on Barnard’s campus, which is affiliated with Columbia. He goes into the library building and the food is still there, and the public safety officer comes in and says he had to show me I.D. and refused to do that. They asked him to leave the building. I said I'm not going to do that and then that's around when the video starts.

McNab refused to hand over his ID fighting for his rights, because of his experience with racial bias at Columbia. He decided to use the situation to prove a point about such experiences among students of color. Firmly believing that it's a pattern in the lives of many other students on campus. And it's not something that's a pattern that is equitably distributed by certain students who have to deal with this more than other students public safety officers at Columbia-Barnard tend to focus more on black students black and brown students.

The viral video of the incident has now been viewed thousands of times. Barnard and Columbia later released statements expressing regret about the incident of inequality. But McNab says the only reason action was taken is because of the evidence. Escalating the interaction that we were having from a verbal interaction to a physical interaction — spectacular visual media. That's why it went viral and that's why I've been talking to everybody and getting everybody's attention and re-sparking widespread conversation about these issues on campus.

Brut.

05/05/2019 6:00 PMupdated: 05/06/2019 1:11 PM

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1561 comments

John V.
3 days
Gestapo cops?
Marissa B.
3 days
Beyond any racial point & on showing your ID. I watch a 72yr old homeless female Vet I know feed & help everyday, get thrown against a wall, slammed to a table & focally handcuffed. All because she produced her valid ID, but refuse to physically hand over (which she doesn’t have to) because they keep everytime & being homeless all she has for anything. Video sadly more violet & profilly bad, because she is from cities wealthiest families & only racial outcast, & she was never booked because of name, but treat so inhuman.
Steven R.
3 days
Just show your id you idiot
Joel G.
3 days
Only in America
Tommy V.
3 days
America is not a free country anymore. It's a country of racist profit. So you all better starting to open the law book and study. Because your tax money is going into those pssy badge pocket
Ken M.
3 days
He used the situation alright.
Don W.
3 days
Please make this liberal crap stop showing up on my news feed
Steve G.
4 days
Yes sir, no sir. Problem solved.
Ben G.
4 days
Rather he started the altercation or he refused (he's a student and human he doesnt have to do anything for or to anyone) to show id doesnt guve these animals any right to question him.. Bt all i see now is (fight for america) lol we been fighting any outside threat is a yall problem.. Get em iran
Rick H.
4 days
All he had to do was show his ID
John M.
4 days
Do what you're told and it wouldn't be a problem that's what's wrong with this country prima donnas
Kim J.
4 days
He should have just shown his ID! 🙄
Cody F.
4 days
Are we sure it was his race, and not that he looks homeless?
Stan B.
4 days
Comply comply comply...that’s all there is to it..
Rosa L.
5 days
This reminded me of our conversation the other day. This is not a one man's case. So, by students of color being in the same place as Caucasian students for example, they are still not been treated the same way. Why would you target him over other students? Why 3 times and still an issue even worst?
Johnny A.
5 days
I get treated like this daily where I live I can't stand up and do anything because of my color and race .live with it deal with it
Andy F.
5 days
I agree with you just show your ID. Trouble maker's...
Gary P.
5 days
Show your I d when they ask not start a point lease seen!!!!
Nick M.
5 days
Why not show your ID? When you look for trouble be ready to find it.
Mike S.
5 days
He should have shown them his id