A video of Julian von Abele, a sophomore at Columbia University, spewing white supremacist rhetoric recently went viral. A group of students filmed him saying gems like, "We saved billions of people from starvation, we built modern civilization! White people are the best thing that ever happened to the world!” and “We invented science and industry and you want to tell us to stop because, 'Oh my god, we're so bad!”
In case you missed it, here’s the video uploaded to Twitter:
The video was posted to social media on Sunday night, and gained so much attention that three Columbia University deans issued a statement. Their statement includes the following:
"Many of you have heard about or seen the alarming footage online, which includes painful language directed toward students of color in our community. Although we cannot comment on the proceedings, this incident is already under investigation by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and we want to assure you that it will be investigated thoroughly, beginning with interviews of witnesses."
Beyond the statement, it’s unknown what discipline (if any) the student will face. What is known, however, is that von Abele doesn’t think he’s racist. He even gave a statement to the Daily Beast attempting to defend himself.
“I am not a white supremacist or racist,” he told the site, “nor do I subscribe to any views that support that ideology. I unequivocally denounce all groups that support racism. I believe that every single person should love themselves and love their culture, and we should all be allowed to be proud of our heritage.” Von Abele says he “would like to have [his] views be fairly considered in the public discourse, and not dismissed solely due to [his] race and gender.”
So how did he end up shouting white supremacist rhetoric outside his campus library if he isn’t a racist? According to him, there was an argument between students in which some alleged that Trump supporters encouraged sexual violence. Before long, apparently, von Abele became furious, and needed to express that he was tired of “the divisive rhetoric that blames all the ills of society on white men.”
He also doesn’t want to be “held personally responsible for the historical actions” of white people, of which he is one. Hopefully, his own actions—in this case, shouting white supremacist rhetoric at a group of his peers, which included people of color—will be something he is held “personally responsible for.”