Ole Miss students accused of making racist monkey noises outside Black students’ apartment in viral ring camera video

OXFORD, Miss. — A disturbing Ring camera video appears to show two white women making monkey noises outside an apartment shared by three Black University of Mississippi students.

The footage, recorded Friday, Nov. 6, has sparked widespread outrage and demands for accountability.

Freshman Jakiyra Metcalf shared the video on TikTok, questioning the women’s behavior.

The recording shows three women walking past the apartment around 8:37 p.m.

One woman beats her chest while making monkey noises. Another approaches the camera and imitates the sounds.

Meanwhile, a third woman follows behind but does not appear to participate.

The video quickly circulated across social media, attracting millions of views and widespread criticism.

Black Ole Miss Student Says Women Are Her Neighbors

Metcalf shared the footage Saturday and tagged the university, seeking answers about the incident.

“Ole Miss?? What do we have to say about this??” she wrote.

Metcalf revealed that the women apparently lived in the same apartment complex.

“We just found out they are our upstairs neighbors,” she wrote in the comments.

The revelation raised further concerns because Metcalf and her two Black roommates share the residence.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed the women’s identities or whether all three attend the university.

University of Mississippi Investigates Racist Gestures

The University of Mississippi has condemned the racist behavior captured on Ring camera footage and confirmed an active investigation.

In a statement released Sunday, Nov. 8, university officials said the conduct violated the institution’s values.

“The university is aware of a video depicting offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable behaviors that conflict with our university values and we condemn them,” the statement read.

Ole Miss confirmed that administrators contacted the Black students targeted in the incident.

“The university has reached out to those targeted by the actions to share information, resources, and support,” officials said.

The university also confirmed that the appropriate offices are investigating the incident through established procedures.

According to The Daily Mississippian, the Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct is reviewing the footage.

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance is also involved.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead also addressed the incident in a message to the campus community.

“Racism and actions that disparage people because of an aspect of their identity have no place in our campus community,” Mead said.

This Is Not the First Racist Monkey Gesture Incident at Ole Miss

Unfortunately, the controversy recalls another disturbing incident at the university in May 2024.

During a campus demonstration, a white student made monkey noises and gestures toward Black graduate student Jaylin Smith.

The student’s fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, subsequently expelled him. University officials also launched a conduct investigation.

The latest incident has renewed questions about whether Ole Miss has adequately addressed racial harassment within its community.