Alumni and students of Dillard University are opposed to the speaker Karrine Steffans, also known as "Super-head, Supa Head and Video Vixen," being included in the Brain Food series on October 21, 2015. Dillard University's mission is to "produce graduates who excel, become world leaders, are broadly educated, culturally aware, and concerned with improving the human condition." Although Ms. Steffans is a New York Times bestselling author of such works: Drink F-ck Sleep (Volume 1); The Confessions of a Video Vixen; and The Vixen Manual: How to Find, Seduce & Keep the Man You Want; she does not possess any of the qualities that Dillard sons should admire, daughters should emulate or to whom our youth should aspire.

Many alumni who support this petition are active in the Dillard University National Alumni Association and instrumental in campaigns that urge others to give. As a result of this speaker being invited, we vow to cease giving to our beloved Alma Mater for the 2015-2016 year and will actively discourage other alumni to donate. This will send a strong message to others in the HBCU community that misogyny, sexual objectification of women and the perpetuation of black women as sexual objects should not be glamorized and promoted on our campuses. While the purported premise of Ms. Steffan's discussion is focused on domestic abuse, we are confident that the administration can select a more suitable speaker who is not profiting from their exploits under the guise of domestic violence, such as Wambui Bahati to speak on this subject. Bahati is the author of Domestic Violence and Relationship Abuse Awareness and Prevention for College Women - A Reminder. We acknowledge Ms. Steffans unfortunate fray with domestic violence and we sincerely wish her the best in her journey to healing. If the administration is seeking to capture the attention of the student body and surrounding Dillard community, we implore you to utilize community activists or our very own prestigious and notable alums. We are committed to helping the University identify an individual that both understands and strengthens the Dillard brand.

Again, please support replacing Steffans with a speaker that reflects the mission and vision of our esteemed Fair Dillard. Ex Fide, Fortis.

For those unfamiliar with Karrine Steffans, please view the videos below which contain graphic language:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10hvPvkte70

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8vrfM0hRCg