Ole Miss Controversy Deepens as Involved Students Break Their Silence
(Updated 11/11/2026 @ 2:20 p.m.) Alaina Kunes, an 18-year-old Ole Miss student caught on camera appearing to make offensive racial gestures in a viral campus video, has released a statement apologizing for her role, NBC News reported. “To the women I offended and to the Ole Miss community, I sincerely apologize,” the statement read. “Before the incident on November 6, I never met the women involved and was unaware of their race, however, I recognize my actions were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful.” Kunes also announced she voluntarily withdrew from the university.
The three Black college students who lived at the apartment, Jakirya Metcalf, Victoria Johnson, and Kaiyden Caldwell, also broke their silence during an interview with “CBS Mornings.”
“We actually went outside and tried to, like, approach them and get them to explain why they did that,” Metcalf, a freshman at Ole Miss, said in an interview shared on Wednesday. Johnson added: “One girl was like, ‘I’m sorry we did that to four doors.’ And mind you, we didn’t see any one of those doors. It was just ours that was targeted. And she was like, ‘We didn’t mean any harm.’”
According to Johnson, the second girl in the video allegedly continued the gestures off camera. “She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing,” Johnson claimed. “It was like a slap in the face.”
(Original story: 11/10/2026 @ 11:30 a.m.)
A viral video showing alleged racist gestures and taunts directed at Black students at the University of Mississippi has sparked widespread condemnation and renewed conversations about race on college campuses. For generations, Ole Miss has stood at the center of America’s evolving conversation about race. From its turbulent integration in 1962 to contemporary debates over inclusion and belonging, the university has come to symbolize both the painful legacy of segregation and the ongoing pursuit of racial progress.
It all started after footage captured three white women walking outside an apartment occupied by three Black Ole Miss students. Two women appeared to beat their chests and imitate monkey sounds and gestures. One of the residents, student Jakiyra Metcalf, shared the recording on TikTok, where it quickly attracted widespread attention and sparked national outrage. It has over 12 million views online.
The Nov. 6 incident carries significance beyond the footage, highlighting the persistence of racial stereotypes and raising uncomfortable questions about how far the country has come– and the distance that remains between historical change and meaningful cultural transformation.
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According to Tasha Bolton, whose daughter lives in the apartment, the women captured in the footage are residents of an upstairs unit in the same building, she told ABC News.
“The video has been shared with university administration, and we want answers. Specifically, what steps will be taken to address this behavior and ensure accountability?” Bolton said online. “This is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. College is supposed to be a place where young adults can learn, grow, and feel safe.”
The imagery carries a particularly painful history. According to research from the National Library of Medicine, comparing Black people to monkeys and apes has long been used to dehumanize them, reinforcing racist stereotypes dating back to slavery and segregation. Such imagery was not simply offensive to Black people, but it helped justify exclusion, discrimination and violence. Its apparent appearance in a contemporary university setting underscores why these gestures cannot be dismissed as harmless jokes or youthful misconduct.
On Monday (Nov. 9), university officials condemned the behavior and confirmed that an investigation is underway. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said the institution had contacted the students directly affected and offered support.
“Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at the University of Mississippi. Racism and actions that disparage people because of an aspect of their identity have no place in our campus community,” Mead wrote in a statement.
However, questions about accountability remain, particularly as university officials navigate student privacy protections that may limit what they can disclose about disciplinary proceedings.
The incident also echoes a 2024 controversy at Ole Miss, when a white student directed similar monkey gestures toward a Black woman participating in a campus protest, according to NBC News. The recurrence raises broader concerns about campus culture and whether institutional statements condemning racism translate into meaningful, lasting change.
Ultimately, the issue extends beyond viral outrage and goes past just Ole Miss. The investigation presents an opportunity to demonstrate whether its commitment to inclusion is reflected not only in public statements but also in meaningful accountability.
