“IT WAS LIKE A SLAP IN THE FACE” — BLACK OLE MISS STUDENTS SPEAK OUT AFTER RACIST DOORBELL VIDEO GOES VIRAL

Three Black University of Mississippi students are speaking publicly about a disturbing encounter outside their apartment after a Ring doorbell camera captured two white women making monkey-like noises and gestures.

The video, recorded on November 6, 2026, quickly spread across social media, sparking widespread outrage and prompting the university to launch an investigation.

Now, the three students say that although one of the women has issued a public apology, the experience remains deeply painful — especially because they say the other woman continued making the gestures even after an apology was offered.

The students, Jakiyra Metcalf, Kaiyden Caldwell and Victoria G. Johnson, discussed the incident during an interview with CBS Mornings on November 11.

Their accounts have brought new attention to the incident and raised difficult questions about racism, accountability and what an apology means to those who have been hurt.

A DOORBELL CAMERA CAPTURES THE DISTURBING ENCOUNTER

The incident happened outside an apartment shared by three Black freshmen attending the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss.

According to the students, they were inside their apartment when their Ring doorbell camera recorded several women walking past their front door.

The footage appeared to show two of the women approaching the camera, making monkey-like sounds, beating their chests and performing gestures associated with racist stereotypes historically used to demean Black people.

A third woman was also visible in the footage but did not appear to make the same gestures.

Jakiyra Metcalf later shared the recording on TikTok, where it rapidly attracted millions of views and triggered widespread criticism.

The students said they were shocked and hurt when they watched what had happened outside their home.

For them, the incident was not simply an offensive video circulating online. It happened at the place where they should have felt safe.

STUDENTS CONFRONTED THE WOMEN AFTER WATCHING THE VIDEO

After discovering the footage, Metcalf and Johnson decided to go outside and speak directly with the women involved.

They wanted an explanation for what had happened and why their apartment had been targeted.

During the conversation, one woman apologized and reportedly explained that the group had made similar animal-like noises and gestures outside other apartment doors.

However, the students questioned that explanation, saying they had not seen evidence of the same behavior at the other doors.

Victoria Johnson described what happened next as particularly upsetting.

According to the students, while one woman was apologizing, the second woman continued making the gestures.

“She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing. It was like a slap in the face,” Johnson told CBS Mornings.

The students said the interaction made an already distressing situation even more difficult to process.

A PUBLIC APOLOGY — BUT THE STUDENTS ARE STILL HURT

One of the women, identified as 18-year-old Alaina Kunes, later issued a public apology through a representative.

In her November 10 statement, Kunes apologized to the women involved and the wider Ole Miss community.

She acknowledged that her actions were insensitive, inappropriate and deeply harmful.

Kunes also said she had not previously met the residents and did not know their race before the November 6 incident.

She stated that she had never intended to direct those noises or gestures toward people of color and said she hoped the women would eventually forgive her.

However, the three students made clear during their interview that receiving an apology does not automatically erase the experience.

Metcalf said she still had mixed feelings about forgiveness.

Caldwell explained that while she appreciated the apology, it did not change what had happened.

“It’s still hurtful, and it’s still devastating that someone would go to our camera and do that,” Caldwell said.

For the students, the issue goes beyond whether Kunes intended to target them because of their race. They believe the behavior itself was disrespectful and unacceptable.

ALAlNA KUNES HAS WITHDRAWN FROM OLE MISS

Following the public controversy, Kunes withdrew from the University of Mississippi.

She also stated that she intended to cooperate fully with the university’s investigation.

Her representative said Kunes and her family had experienced harassment and threats following the incident and requested privacy.

The statement was initially published through a law firm’s website but was subsequently removed amid concerns about ongoing harassment.

The second woman seen making gestures in the footage has not publicly issued an apology, according to the students.

Her identity has not been publicly confirmed by the university.

It is important to note that the university has not publicly announced the outcome of its investigation or any disciplinary findings.

UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION

The University of Mississippi condemned the behavior shown in the video, describing it as offensive, hurtful and unacceptable.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said university officials had contacted the students directly affected to offer support, listen to their concerns and connect them with available resources.

The university also confirmed that the matter was being investigated through the appropriate institutional procedures.

Officials emphasized that every student deserves to feel safe, respected and valued on campus.

However, the university has not released details about potential disciplinary action, citing student privacy protections under federal law.

The incident has also attracted attention because Ole Miss has a long and complicated history involving racial discrimination and segregation.

In 1962, James Meredith became the university’s first Black student after a prolonged legal battle. His admission triggered violent resistance and a riot on campus that left two people dead.

For many observers, the latest incident has reopened painful conversations about the university’s history and the experiences of Black students today.

THE STUDENTS SAY THEY WILL NOT LET THE INCIDENT DEFINE THEIR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

Despite what happened, Metcalf, Caldwell and Johnson say they intend to remain at Ole Miss.

They do not want the incident to take away their opportunity to enjoy college, pursue their education and build the future they came to the university to create.

During the CBS interview, the students also encouraged others who experience similar treatment to speak out rather than remain silent.

They hope sharing their experience will help prevent similar incidents and remind people that behavior dismissed as a joke can have serious consequences for those targeted.

For now, the three students are still processing what happened.

One apology has been offered, but forgiveness remains complicated, and questions about accountability are still unanswered.

Their message is clear: an apology may be a beginning, but it does not erase the hurt caused by the actions that came before it.

SOURCE: PEOPLE, Associated Press, CBS News and ABC News — November 9–12, 2026.