Parker Rice has broken his silence about the viral video of him leading a racist chant with his fellow Sigma Alpha Epsilon frat brothers. In the video, Rice and others are chanting “There will never be a n—-r in S-A-E. You can’t hang them from a tree but they’ll never sign with me.” In an apology statement sent to to Dallas Morning News Rice says that the whole ordeal was “fueled by alcohol.”
I am deeply sorry for what I did Saturday night. It was wrong and reckless. I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same. On Monday, I withdrew from the university, and sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media.
I know everyone wants to know why or how this happened. I admit it likely was fueled by alcohol consumed at the house before the bus trip, but that’s not an excuse. Yes, the song was taught to us, but that too doesn’t work as an explanation. It’s more important to acknowledge what I did and what I didn’t do. I didn’t say no, and I clearly dismissed an important value I learned at my beloved high school, Dallas Jesuit. We were taught to be ‘Men for Others.’ I failed in that regard, and in those moments, I also completely ignored the core values and ethics I learned from my parents and others.
At this point, all I can do is be thoughtful and prayerful about my next steps, but I am also concerned about the fraternity friends still on campus. Apparently, they are feeling unsafe and some have been harassed by others. Hopefully, the university will protect them.
For me, this is a devastating lesson and I am seeking guidance on how I can learn from this and make sure it never happens again. My goal for the long-term is to be a man who has the heart and the courage to reject racism wherever I see or experience it in the future.
Thank you for your consideration of my deepest apologies for what I did.
Since the emergence of the video, Waka Flocka Flame has cancelled an upcoming performance at the fraternity’s event at the University of Oklahoma, where the video was recorded. The organization’s headquarters has said that they are “disgusted” with those members and the chapter has been suspended at that school.