Story highlights "Although I don't deserve it, I want to ask for your forgiveness," Levi Pettit says

He was one of two students expelled from the University of Oklahoma over a racist fraternity chant

"From this point forward, I will be the leader that I should have been," he says

(CNN) Levi Pettit, who was expelled from the University of Oklahoma for spouting a racist chant at a fraternity activity, says he's "deeply sorry."

"Although I don't deserve it, I want to ask for your forgiveness," Pettit said as he read from a prepared statement at a news conference on Wednesday. "There are no excuses for my behavior. I never thought of myself as a racist. I never considered it a possibility. But the bottom line is that the words that were said in that chant were mean, hateful and racist."

Flanked at the podium by African American leaders who he'd been meeting with at the Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Pettit, who is white, said he planned to spend the rest of his life trying to undo the damage he'd done.

Pettit's parents released a statement apologizing for his behavior earlier this month. But it wasn't until Wednesday that he spoke out himself.

Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire University of Oklahoma students march to the now-closed fraternity house of Sigma Alpha Epsilon during a rally in Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, March 10. The university's president expelled two students Tuesday after he said they were identified as leaders of a racist chant that was captured on video. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire Steve Joule, executive chef at the City Rescue Mission, loads a container of sugar from the kitchen of the SAE house in Norman on March 10. The fraternity is donating its food to the mission after its house was shut down by the university. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire Howard Dixon, SAE's chef at the university, pauses to talk to the media as he drives away from the frat house on March 10. Dixon lost his job after the fraternity was shut down, and a crowdfunding campaign was set up in his name. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire Facility workers remove the letters from the SAE house on Monday, March 9. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire University of Oklahoma President David Boren speaks during a news conference on campus March 9. Boren said that he was angered, outraged and saddened by what he saw in the video. Boren stressed that the fraternity members' behavior is not indicative of what University of Oklahoma students represent. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire Graffiti saying "tear it down" is painted on the side of the frat house on March 9. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire University students protest the racist comments on March 9. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Oklahoma fraternity under fire Boren, with the bullhorn at left, speaks with students as they protest on March 9. "I have a message for those who have misused their freedom of speech in this way," he said. "My message to them is: You're disgraceful. You have violated every principle that this university stands for." Hide Caption 8 of 8

"Some have wondered why I haven't spoken out publicly. The truth is, I've had a mix of pain, shame, sorrow and fear over the consequences of my actions," he said. "I did not want to apologize to the press or to the whole country first, until I came here to apologize to the community most directly impacted."

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