Reality Check, Please
Students disown blackface at GSU
This one hits close to home (literally - we live in Atlanta). Two students of Georgia State University took instruction to “dress black” a bit too literally. They showed up to a “Straight Outta Compton” party in blackface.
The two students have been suspended from their fraternity, and the university has charged them with discriminatory harassment under the student code of conduct, [Rebecca] Stout [the assistant vice president and dean of students] said. Discipline may range from diversity training to possible expulsion. The university also filed charges against the fraternity, and a hearing will be held in a few weeks.
This gives me uncomfortable flashbacks of “She’s a witch! Burn her!” It’s like what would it be like if that old Monty Python skit happened but it was real?
“He’s a racist! Burn him!”
“Well how do you know he’s a racist?”
“He looks like one! Burn him! Burn!”
Hundreds of students gathered at a Georgia State University ballroom Thursday to speak out about [the] racial incident at a fraternity party in January.
…
About a third of the student body at Georgia State is African-American. Organizers estimated that 700 students attended the forum Thursday. After it was over, some students hugged, while others cried and shook hands.“All students were able to express that racism will not and should not be tolerated at Georgia State University,” said Alvatina Upshaw, 22, a junior from Atlanta.
No, racism shouldn’t be tolerated but the width of that “racism brush” needs to be shrunken a bit. Suspension, disciplinary action, possible expulsion, a fraternity brought up on charges, 700 students at a race rally with people crying and hugging. And all of this is because two college students wore blackface to a non-scholastic function? This trancends the ridiculous.
Those students should have been expelled immediately. Absolutely no excuse whatsoever for their racist “speech” which is actually conduct. As a person who happens to be white and happens to be female, I am horrified that this actually happened. All I can say is there’s a reason why the word “White Trash” exists…except I would just call it trash.
My punishment for these students would go beyond expulsion.
They would be held back a year, fined, be forced to perform community service and awakened to the current decade.
Really, Linda? For wearing makeup to a non-scholastic function? Given the circumstances in the article (frat party where guests were instructed to “dress ghetto”) don’t you think that it’s just possible these kids are humor impaired and not racist at all?
There are places in the world where you can be fined, punished and/or imprisoned for expressing yourself contrary to the expected norm. I pray the US never becomes one of them.
Racism has to be nipped in the bud as soon as it begins to arise. I truly believe that those two students who dressed in black face were wrong, even the theme of the party was wrong. There are many different themes that could have been given to this party. Members of that fraternity have been seen as people who were racist for a very long time now, an incident such as this one only made it worse for them. I walked the courtyard at GSU and I personally felt the tension, fear, and frustration on this campus. Look at the bigger picture here, understand that this incident caused members of the African-American community as well as other races very much past.
You people need to get a life - if someone dosent like blacks or someone doesent like whites - so what get a life - its their personal decision - its like the article said - lets burn all the people that could be racisist by the way they look, dress and act - are all of you people NUTS ??????? What about making a law where “hating bananas” is illegal and everyone is to be put on the “chair’ if they dont like bananas - this “racist” crap needs to go - cause if someone doesnt like someone because of their color or race, there may be a reason and as i said its their decision - whatever happend to freedom of speech ???? How funny, thou, that only whites can be racists….
I am of an asian decent. I lived in Georgia for 13 years and I know what racism feels like. But this is just wrong to judge them as racist. If a black person is insecure about his cultural roots, then it could be offensive. You may forget high school or lived in a different era of high schools. But today, whites are made fun just as much as asians, muslims, blacks, and other various races are made fun of. Racism is when you bring a cross and burn it on someones house. Unless you direcly offend someone it isn’t racism. Sure those masks could have hurt someone but it’s all fun and games. Did the students purposely want to offend the black community? No. Thats the point. It’s wrong but unless they were wearing white hoods, I think they were just playing around, trying to have a good time and cause some laughs.
1984 is here! You must never act inappropriately. You must not have feelings that are “different” than state sanctioned politically correct ones. Anyone who is obviously “different” will be immediately sent to prison for their thought crimes. Hail to the state! Hail to the state! We must all be the same! Differences will no longer be tolerated. The people support it, they demand it! “Put them away!” they cry. “They are bad! They are different! We hate them!” You folks are so severely brainwashed it’s horrifying. Here’s the facts. What people do on their own time is nobody’s business. No one was harmed, no
one was attacked, no one was even singled out with intent to cause harm. It’s not possible to be American and not live next door to someone who is different than you are. That doesn’t make them wrong - it just makes them different. Is that okay with you? What these people did may have been naive and tasteless but all they did was put paint on their own bodies; which are their own personal property and they can do anything they want to do with their own bodies. And it’s none of your business. And if that sounds outrageous to you, then let me repeat, 1984 is here. You better start thinking for yourselves people, this is very frightening for a supposedly “free” country.
When I was in college in 1980, a young man needed a quick Halloween outfit for a party. He grabbed a bedsheet and made a cross out of two sticks and some electrical tape. He went as a KKK member. All his black friends thought it was hilarious, and way over the top.
Hey, I’m a black person and I understand both points…one point is that they may not have been intentionally racist but their lack of sensitivity is what’s disturbing…the other being that they didn’t care or were ignorant of racism. I think that the appropriate response would have been to have some type of forum where key student reps. were able to talk one on one and everyone could come to a mature solution and actually find out the true motivation. If they were being racist then such activities should no longer be allowed. I know that there’s an issue of liberty and rights but let’s be adults and know when to realise our own boundaries. A sandbox attitude of “He gets to do it, so why can’t I?” Isn’t going to get anyone anywhere.
However, if they weren’t being racist on purpose, the obviously there are issues that need to be dealt with. They have the right to do whatever they want, but they should be informed that people aren’t going to be happy, which in turn has repercussions on their lives…just like…the REAL world. Anybody watch “The Apprentice” lately on NBC? Ever seen a commercial or tv spot where Donald Trump asks his subordinates what they think of his ideas? Most times you can see the hesitation on their faces, but there’s no way they would tout their personal liberty to say or do whatever they want. I will pay money if i ever witness George or Carolyn shrug their shoulders and say “Gee Mr. Trump…I kinda wanted to do my own thing with this one…”
Ok, they wore black face, hmmm didnt the Wayan Bros where white face in “White Chicks”?
It was a frat party, not a racial lynching. People need to get a life. period.
The Race cards (for all races) are so quick to be drawn in America. I mean were they saying racial slurs? Where they holding a “KKK” meeting? No. They were having a friggin party.