BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After a barrage of criticism, Ferris State University’s public relations student group is cancelling an African history event with a former NAACP leader who claimed to be a black woman but has no African ancestry.

The Ferris State Public Relations Student Society of America announced Wednesday that Rachel Dolezal would be speaking about the importance of African history for modern society on March 25. The association planned to field questions for Dolezal during a screening of the documentary about her, titled “The Rachel Divide.”

The announcement was met with a wave of criticism on Facebook for not inviting a person of color to come and speak.

Thursday, Ferris State Public Relations Student Society of America announced the event is cancelled, posting the following statement on Facebook:

“We failed. We’re deeply sorry for the pain and hurt we’ve caused by inviting Rachel Dolezal to our campus. We’ve heard you. Effective immediately the Rachel Dolezal event is canceled. We’re evaluating how we arrived here and how we can move forward with respect to the core values of our University.”