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Stacy Bruton, the
international president of Alpha Delta Pi, issued a public
apology and said the organization will investigate how its
chapter at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama was able to
commission the making of the T-shirt.
"We are deeply disappointed in the choices made by the Samford
chapter and add our sincerest apologies to those expressed by
the chapter," Bruton said.
The front of the T-shirt, which was made for the sorority's
spring formal, showed an image of an African-American person
eating a slice of watermelon inside an illustration of the
southern U.S. state, news website al.com reported.
African-Americans liking watermelon is considered a racial
stereotype and is generally regarded as offensive.
The private university, attended by 5,200 students, said in a
statement the image is "completely inconsistent with the
university’s mission and values" and it will also investigate
the incident. The school said the T-shirt was made even after it
was rejected during a review process.
Al.com reported that Samford President Andrew Westmoreland
personally apologized to students and employees in an email.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee)
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