‘Hoax’ threats due to conservative anger about Kirk’s death, black UMinn leader says

A black student leader at the University of Minnesota blamed “hoax” threats against the school’s DEI department on conservatives being upset about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Black Student Union co-engagement chair Simon Dyson said he knew the threat against the DEI office soon after Kirk’s death was a hoax, but still felt unsafe.

“Dyson said he believes the assassination of Charlie Kirk fueled the hateful rhetoric and threats among right-wing groups nationwide,” the student newspaper reported. “Dyson said he believes the threats reflected negative sentiments he believes Kirk held toward Black people, despite the threats being deemed a hoax.”

“I think the anger around his death is merely a reflection of who holds power in this country at the moment,” Dyson (pictured) told The Minnesota Daily.

Co-engagement chair Waah Ndeh expressed disappointment that a campus police alert about the incident did not mention that racial minorities were targeted. The student leader “said violence against people of color in the U.S. is common, which has made her desensitized to many threats and acts of racism made toward Black people,” according to the student newspaper’s paraphrase.

However, another black student leader said the “young African men” who have come to events and caused problems are not to blame for the way they acted. Rather, it is because their parents have to work long hours and do not have the time to raise them.

“[Oromo Student Union President Maati] Dekama said though the [campus police] officers at the kickstarter were helpful, there were still people flashing guns during the event,” the student newspaper reported. “He said there have been multiple occurrences of mostly young African American men coming to Oromo events and causing disruption.”

“These young men don’t take education or their cultural identity seriously, and they try to fit in a role with street and gang culture,” Dekama said. “These young men are not getting the tools that they need to succeed.”

The paper reported further:

Dekama said many young Black men in Minnesota fall into violent groups for many reasons, such as the systematic oppression and hatred towards people of color in America.

“It’s okay to be Black, it’s okay to be African, it’s okay to be an immigrant,” Dekama said. “That’s the beauty of America, this is the land of immigrants.”

Dekama said he sees a lack of supervision and role models within the East African community. He said many immigrant parents have to work long hours to support their families, meaning they can’t spend as much time as they want with their children.

“These young men get a ridiculous amount of freedom for their age,” Dekama said. “It’s truly not their fault at all, and that’s what makes it more frustrating.”

Dekama went on to criticize the parents for “praying as a way to solve issues, which can result in suppressed emotions, causing young men to turn to reckless behavior,” the student newspaper reported.