Oumou Kanoute was a sophomore student at Smith College who went viral.
An investigation into the incident found that Oumou Kanoute, a black student, claimed she was targeted for “eating while black” at a private Massachusetts college.
She shared the incident on Facebook with the captain “This is why being black in America is scary,.” The video she took captured some of her interactions with the officer.
Kanoute went from being a teaching assistant and student at the nearly 150-year-old college to the latest example of #LivingWhileBlack in an instant. The hashtag has been used to raise awareness previously. About incidents where African Americans engaged in seemingly innocuous activities were summoned by police for suspicious activities.
According to the New York Times, a 35-page investigation conducted by an outside law firm found no evidence of discrimination.
But could that all be a lie? Keep on reading to find out more about the incident.
What Happened To The Smith College Student?
The incident began when Kanoute entered a cafeteria in a dormitory reserved for a summer camp program for young children, according to the outlet.
Since students were not supposed to use the area, Jackie Blair, a cafeteria worker, reminded her of this but then decided to drop the issue, according to the outlet.
A janitor in his 60s with poor vision noticed a figure in the distance eating in a closed-off lounge area of the dorm.
According to the outlet, employees were not supposed to confront strangers on their own, so the janitor informed security about the person, who turned out to be Kanoute.
The janitor, who later claimed he couldn’t tell the person’s gender because it was dark, told dispatchers that someone was “sitting there laying down in the living room.”
A security officer then drove over and engaged in a polite conversation with the student, who recorded the encounter on video and later posted it to Facebook.
Kanoute then went on Facebook to report the incident in a private, all-women school.
Is Oumou Kanoute Liar?
The incident Onumos described turned out to lie.
The subsequent investigation determined that there was no evidence of wrongdoing and that the janitor acted the following policy.
Based on this information, the investigation determined that the Callers had a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for believing a person was ‘out of place’ in the Tyler living room,” according to the report.
Where Is Oumou Kanoute Today?
As of this post, nothing is known about Oumou Kanoute. Nonetheless, in the final moment, the article 2021 was retweeted on various social media platforms.
Moreover, she began speaking out for anti-bias education purposes and quickly gained a devoted fan following.