Subscribe
NewsOne Featured Video
CLOSE

A Black student at the University of Wisconsin is receiving death threats after creating and selling hoodies emblazoned with racially charged statements.

Eneale Pickett, whose collection includes a hoodie that reads “All White people are racist,” says his goal is to make people uncomfortable on the campus in Madison, Wisconsin, and around the globe.

“I made these sweatshirts initially to start a conversation,” Pickett says. “Now it’s to shift a conversation because people have been talking about race, sexuality and gender, but now I’m doing it to make them uncomfortable. In this country, no one really wants to talk about these issues unless they’re truly uncomfortable.”

By that standard, he’s a success: Etsy has removed his listings multiple times and even Dane County Boys and Girls Club President Michael Johnson wants to steer him in a different, less “divisive” direction. While Johnson can understand the “underlying issues,” he believes what Pickett is doing is wrong.

From ABC13:

“Even though the constitution says people can say what they want to say, utilizing hoodies and wearing shirts like this, it’s just not right.” Johnson said.

Michael Johnson says he hopes to meet with Pickett to discuss different ways to express his message.

WMTV reports that so far Pickett has sold 40 sweatshirts. According to Pickett’s Facebook page, Etsy, the website used to sell the shirts, has removed the sweatshirt listings multiple times.

Some of Pickett’s followers support the messages, including one who said he was looking to buy up all of the T-shirts. What do you think? Sound off in comments.

SOURCE: ABC13 | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter

Black College Students Are Receiving Death Threats Because Of This Hoodie  was originally published on globalgrind.com