Update: If you want to see the video and hear a Tarleton State administrator talk about the party at Tarleton you can click on this MSNBC link. P. Moore also has a good local newscast up. I have to say I am impressed with the young man who hosted the party at Tarleton. He actually gave a real apology, not those half baked ones we have been seeing lately. I’m also impressed with the administrative responses at the two schools. It also struck me that the young man who hosted the party at Tarleton had a Black roommate for two years, so much for the contact hypothesis although it could account for his seemingly genuine apology.
Editor’s Note: P. Moore over at The Think has some of the pictures from two recent “ghetto” parties–you know the parties where whites dress up in costumes and try to imitate African Americans. The pictures include one that was supposed to be a Martin Luther King party at Tarleton State in Texas and another one thrown by University of Connecticut law school students called “Bullets and Bubbly.”
I figured I would focus my attention on UConn case (You can check out the photos here on the Smokinggun.). For those of you who don’t know, I graduated from UConn. I was a graduate student there, not at the law school but at the main campus in Storrs. Since I am a UConn grad and I know that several UConn grad students read my blog, I thought this would also be a good time to note that the graduate student representative to the Board of Trustees was at the party. Here’s a quote of from him in the Hartford Courant:
Michael Nichols, a graduate student member of the UConn board of trustees, attended the party along with several other student leaders. He wore a tuxedo, he said.
“At the time we felt that nothing was wrong or mean-spirited. Since then we have learned that many of our friends and fellow students were hurt. For this I am truly sorry,” he said, adding that he hoped the discussion would raise sensitivity to other students’ feelings.
I’m not going to call for Nichols to step down from his position because I’m not a student anymore and because he didn’t dress up like this. However, he was at the party, and I do find it troubling that he would participate in this kind of behavior. At the very least, people should write him a letter letting him know that his behavior does not reflect the concerns of graduate students at UConn. If you are a UConn student, you can send Nichols a letter letting him know that this behavior is unacceptable. Here is his trustee office address:
Mr. Michael J. Nichols (Student Trustee)
c/o 352 Mansfield Road
Storrs, CT 06269-2048
Mr Nichols is an elected representative; thus, he needs his constituents to hold him accountable for his behavior.
It may also be time to revisit the fact that the law school has had a virtual lock down on the graduate student trustee position over the years. I remember this being a big controversy when I was at UConn. In either 2002 or 2003, the main campus fielded a candidate for student trustee who was trying to challenge the law school grad students, who are usually preparing for their political careers and don’t have the interest of the vast majority of graduate students in mind. It may be time to revisit this, and see if the Graduate Student Senate can find a good candidate from the Storrs campus. There were somewhere around 70 law students at this party, so this is not an isolated handful of people, and it may be a symptom of a need for change in that position.
It is not easy to get into law school these days, and UConn is fairly good law school, so we are talking about some well educated people, which leads me to ask–do these people really not know that this is offensive? Haven’t they learned about this? One side of me says, I’ll take their claims at face value. Maybe they genuinely don’t know. On the other hand, another part of me says, they have to be lying because anybody who has come of age in this country should be aware of the offensive nature of blackface and general mockery of African Americans.
I remember being taught that it wasn’t right to say “bad things about black people” when I was a kid. In fact, I distinctly remember one incident, when my brother was in his early elementary school years, and we were sitting at the dinner table. My brother hauled out with the n-word. He must have picked it up at school. My Dad said, “What did you say?” My brother was acting like a little smart alec and came out with the n-word again, like it was funny. (He knew what he was saying was wrong, but he seemed to think this was a funny thing to say.) At this point, my Dad whooped his butt. Yeah, my parents taught me this was wrong. And it was wrong enough to result in an “ass whoopin'” to use my Dad’s terminology. Now, I couldn’t figure out why nobody said anything when my parents went to visit our relatives, and a few of them liberally used the n-word and made disparaging remarks about black people. I tried to ask my parents about this a few times, but never really got an answer that made sense to me. I supposed that is fairly typical of the hypocrisy of growing up white in the US. We often get mixed messages about race. However, when I was younger it seemed fairly clear to me that blackface and the n-word are wrong. I pretty much knew that was bad.
Which leads me back to those UConn students, I don’t really know what kind of messages they grew up with, but I am glad to see that the University is using this as an opportunity to let them know that this behavior is offensive, inappropriate, unbecoming, and unprofessional. The new dean, who started just this week (what a welcome!), expressed dismay over the incident, as did the interim dean. As educators it is part of our role to explain why this behavior is offensive, and I’m formulating a post on this for a later time. However, you’ll have to pardon me being suspicious about these claims of ignorance.
It is truly sad to see that these folks are our future lawyers. The criminal justice system is arguably the most racially biased institution in the US, and these students represent the future.
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well, there are a couple of equally depressing possibilities.
1) White kids at elite schools may well have very little awareness of racial issues. They’ve spent their whole lives in privileged, largely white environments.
2) They think of racism as “bad” when it’s lynching or taking away the right of blacks to vote, but OK when it’s wrapped in a party and called ‘politically incorrect.’.
Assuming that the pictures represent what typically went on I don’t see this as that big of a deal. I went to a mobster party where everyone aped a bad Italian American accent St. Patrick’s Day has a lot of people in green and calling eachother ‘laddy’. At worst they were being jerks.
There are a lot of white people that dress and posture like in the pictures with complete sincerity. Emminen is a great example of this, so is Kevin Federline. It looks like they’re having a theme party based on Ghetto fashion.
I don’t agree that you can’t make fun of black people. I think it’s wrong to make fun of someone for the color of their skin and there’s a pretty fine line between having ghetto themed party and making of black people for being black but Ghetto black culture is sad. There’s no reason not to make fun of it.
From the article at the Smoking Gun:
Rachel,
that is what you see when you are looking at images of black culture on TV, and that also is what black artists choose to wear when they present themselves in the media. They aren’t reperesentative for black people in general, but as I see it it isn’t offensive to lampoon them during a party.
Rachel asks the right question:
…….we are talking about some well educated people, which leads me to ask–do these people really not know that this is offensive?
Considering their age and that they have college degrees, I agree, the ignorance claim is a little suspicious. Also while upbringing is no doubt is a major influence, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of America’s brightest law scholars at UConn picked up their “costume” ideas from the ministrel videos on BET or MTV.
To Joe since you think there’s no reason not to make fun of black ghetto culture, how about putting on one of these “costumes” and taking a walk through an urban black community. Maybe you can report back here on the response.
drydock, LOL!! I think all of these whites who want to wear what they are calling “ghetto” or “rap” clothes should be required to go to a party where they are the only white person and wear those “costumes.”
It is an interesting point to note that what some black teenagers wear everyday as their normal attire is labeled as a costume. What is also funny is that if a Black person came to their party with a long white t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a Roca Wear jacket, they wouldn’t label it a costume. It speaks volumes about what white Americans think. It’s just like the Native American Mascot debate.
I kind of have to come down with Joe on this one. Blackface is profoundly offensive, because it has a specific historical root in an entertainment form which did indeed exist to both uphold white supremacism, and to mock blacks qua blacks.
Ghetto culture, on the other hand, isn’t specifically black – it’s just ghetto. And it’s worthy of mockery, just as rural white trash culture is worthy of mockery. (And both are worthy of sympathy for the people actually saddled with those crappy values, as well.)
As far as the word “costume” goes, I note that the only people calling it a costume here are you and drydock. That said, “costume” is the general word for clothing that carries a particular set of identity/culture signifiers, but isn’t the ordinary wear of the individual in question. It’s a navy admiral costume when I wear it, even though there are actual navy admirals who wear something much like my “costume”. So I’m not sure what the word “speaks volumes” about – other than, perhaps, your own assumptions about “white America”.
Robert, I agree with you that the word “costume” is not especially significant. But that’s about all I agree with you about.
Because something is “worthy of mockery” doesn’t make every occasion in which it is mocked appropriate. I’m a professional mocker, and I think virtually everything deserves to be mocked in some context or other.
But a bunch of college white kids getting together so they can mock poor black culture is just fucking tacky, at best, and at worst represents a search for an socially acceptable form of expressing racism. (And if you really think there’s no cultural association between “ghetto” and “black” that these partiers were drawing on, then I have a bridge here in Portland to sell you).
(By the way, I’d feel pretty much the same way about a bunch of rich college jerks getting together to do a big mock-off of “rural white trash culture,” except that would probably be more about classism than racism.)
But a bunch of college white kids getting together so they can mock poor black culture is just fucking tacky, at best, and at worst represents a search for an socially acceptable form of expressing racism.
Well, either for the ghetto or the country…it’s a socially acceptable form of expressing “we think your culture sucks”.
But those cultures DO suck, and I don’t see they deserve any protection from social ridicule, whether formal (rules) or informal (social sanctions of peers outraged that anyone could be so insensitive/racist/classist/w-ever). You can certainly fold that into the giant social construction that “racism” has become on the left, and I imagine it’ll fit somewhere…but I have a hard time feeling anything strongly about it.
Perhaps – and I’m just throwing this out there – there would be less of a perceived desire to socially ridicule bad cultures in the context of a university, if the university was being true to its mission of exploration and discovery and criticism. When you can’t talk about why urban ghetto culture is crap in class, the temptation to express it in one’s social life has no outlet.
(And yes, Rachel, I’m aware that a lot of the things that are crap about it are actually the fault of white people. But having a target for blame doesn’t change the fact on the ground of the bad culture.)
Black American female here. Here to share my story:
My dad was raised in the ghetto; Mama was raised in the “projects”. It wasn’t because their parents were too busy hustlin’, or dope dealing, or pimpin’, or any of that stupid shit. (Excuse the language, but this issue has seriously pissed me off.) In fact, my dad’s father was a reverend and a carpenter. When he passed and left his wife a widower with five kids, she worked all day cleaning houses for wealthy white women to make ends meet. My mother’s father worked two jobs to support his wife and children, and my grandmother often babysat other children during the day. The bills got paid; their tummies were full.
But you don’t hear about those types of families in the news and on TV and in the movies. All you see is the thuggin’, the pimpin’, the gangstas, and the crackheads. You don’t know (or maybe you don’t care) about the real people who struggle to earn an honest day’s living to care for their family, who far outnumber the drug dealers and the ‘hos. You don’t hear (or maybe you don’t listen) about the families who go to church every Sunday and come home and see their apartments ransacked for what little valuables they have. You can’t perceive (or maybe you’re too blind to see) that most of these are just trying to live day by day.
I’ve been reading the blogs about this story ever since it broke and it pisses me off that there are some people who say that those “ghetto parties” are no big deal. Or worse, that the ghettoes are in such bad shape that they deserve whatever mockery they get. The big deal is that I know that there are some good, decent, hard-working, God-fearing people who live in the ghettoes and in the projects. Just because you see some dumbasses who want to degrade themselves and their culture in front of a national audience, don’t be stupid enough to think that it represents the whole community. Those “ghetto parties” disrespect my parents, my parents’ parents, and everything they built up over their lives so I could live the way that I do know. FUCK ‘EM ALL!
Those “students” are the reason that my mom always told me that I would have to be twice as good as the little white girl sitting next to me. Because if those pictures represent what people think when they see me, then where the fuck does that leave me???
Because if those pictures represent what people think when they see me, then where the fuck does that leave me???
Having to work harder to get the same respect, just as your mother said. It is unfair that bad actors within a group can sometimes set societal perceptions of the group. But it’s true nonetheless.
Prostitution, drug addiction and thievery, however, are not the problem with ghetto culture. They’re just the surface manifestations of those problems, and what’s most likely to be mocked.
Is it right that it should be mocked?
I work in a residential facility for boys who have convicted of felonies ranging from aggravated robbery to sexual assault. A lot of those boys really do want to change their lives for the better, but many times their released back into that same enviornment and get swept up in that fast life because it’s the only way they know how to live. Is that what should be mocked?
I think it should be mocked. Mockery creates a perception that aligns with reality – the bulk of our society rejects these values, and if you (generic you) embraces them, then we reject you as well. Mocking the externalities makes the cultural signal clear in ways that less emotionally charged forms of communication might not get across.
The boys in your residential facility shouldn’t be mocked if they’re trying to make changes. They just don’t have the examples and models they need to make the right choices in life, which is a failure of the subculture they’ve been stranded in. It’s the culture that deserves scorn, not its victims.
When has anything been changed for the better through mockery? I’m living proof that mocking something doesn’t make it turn out “for the better”. All through middle school and through high school I was mocked and made fun of because of my weight. And I’m still fat! Were those people mocking me as a person, or mocking my so-called “weaknesses” or “lack of willpower”. Or were they trying to point out the culture of excess in our society that has enabled me to gain so much weight? (Yeah, right.)
That’s not what those students were doing either. They thought it would be hilarious to dress up like the black people they’ve probably never really sat down and gotten to know, but instead took their cues from music videos and the evening news. And how ironic would it be to do this on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday? The holiday where we honor a man whose sacrifices paved the way for many blacks and other minorities to be respected and treated as equal citizens.
And then they apologized! They didn’t say that they were shining a spotlight on the downward spiral of black ghetto culture. They got together, made stupid costumes, got drunk, and realized after the fact that they acted like a bunch of racist morons.
When has anything been changed for the better through mockery?
Things are changed for the better by mockery all the time.
Your genuine and painful experiences with mockery were mockery of a person. I join with you in condemning the people who did and do this to you – and admit my own, all too human share of blame in this fairly widespread human phenomenon. People are shitty to one another, and we ought not to be. For my substantial contribution to that general sum of misery, I apologize.
But ideas aren’t people. Cultures are sets of ideas. Ideas are fair game, even mundane ideas like clothing and music choices. Making fun of styles and celebrities is certainly a low form of intellectual discourse, but it’s the basic coarse jesting that pretty much everybody bar a few saints indulges in.
I’m glad that the boys and girls (men and women? not sure on the ages/maturity levels involved) in question apologized, because they were in the wrong to do it in a MLK-themed way. That takes the mockery into the personal realm again, and was wrong.
I ask again, when has anything been changed for the better through mockery?
But ideas aren’t people. Cultures are sets of ideas. Ideas are fair game, even mundane ideas like clothing and music choices.
But there are people behind the cultures and behind the ideas. Mocking someone’s beliefs or lifestyle isn’t going to change them over to your side. If anything, it will reaffirm their own opinions about how they’re right and how everyone else is wrong.
I’m glad that the boys and girls (men and women? not sure on the ages/maturity levels involved) in question apologized, because they were in the wrong to do it in a MLK-themed way. That takes the mockery into the personal realm again, and was wrong.
It was wrong to do it, period. Whether it was on MLK Day or any other day.
Oops. wrong formatting ^^^
[Fixed! –Amp]
I suppose costume parties are by nature rude. If they’d dressed like soldiers, cops, fireman, hillbillies, the Irish, Mobsters, priests, monks or other group that can be identified by apparel they might have offended someone. The fact that it was on MLK day does make it tacky. But I really don’t see this as that big of a deal.
The ghetto isn’t 100% black, the whites boys there dress that way to. Also, a lot of trailer parts are mostly white and you’ll see lot of young people dressed similarly.
I agree that this was rude, but not even close to the same level as blackface. It seems like a tempest in a teapot.
As to the apology, of course you apologize when offend someone. Even when you didn’t mean to.
Robert, I agree with you about the value of mockery (and parody), although unlike you I retain some critical faculties which enable me to distinguish between good and bad mockery. [Edited to add: that last sentence was intended as tongue in cheek waggary, not a real insult, sorry if it didn’t come off properly.]
But I think it’s odd that you say it’s wrong to make fun of MLK. MLK was a public figure; even better, he’s someone who chose to become a public figure. Making fun of politicians is perfectly justifiable, and it’s not the same as making fun of the unpopular kid in the schoolyard. (The problem with making fun of MLK is that his ideas were too important and correct to be easily made fun of, not that he’s an individual).
You write:
I think there are some sucky things about Northeastern suburban upper-class Jewish culture (as you know, the culture I came from). I don’t think that culture deserves protection from mockery. At the same time, if a bunch of drunken morons decided it would be funny to hold a party where they all wear big fake noses, call each other “Goldstein” and “Mendelbaum,” and badly imitate every stereotype about Jews they can think of, I’d find that offensive.
You don’t have to persuade me that mockery can be good, and that some cultures deserve mockery: I already agree with you about that, Robert. In my opinion, the problem here is that you apparently can’t tell the difference between smart, effective mockery, and vomit from a bunch of racist drunks.
Furthermore, as Angel points out, the result of this particular mockery is to entrench racism, not to cause positive changes in behavior.
Tell me, Robert, why do you suppose this party was MLK-themed and took place on MLK day? Do you think it’s because Dr. King was ghetto, or was it because Dr. King was black? Because unless you think Dr. King was very ghetto, I don’t see how you can avoid admitting that these partiers were not mocking ghetto culture in a raceblind manner.
(Note that I’m not asking you to “feel” anything about it; I’m asking you to recognize racism when it’s sitting right in front of you, waving a huge flag that says “racism here!”)
I’ve thought about it some more and doing a ghetto theme party on MLK day is pretty shitty, and either racist or clueless.
But I don’t think it would be beyond the pale on another random day. Especially since gangsta style isn’t uniquely black. Mostly black but not uniquely.
My brother was acting like a little smart alec and came out with the n-word again, like it was funny. (He knew what he was saying was wrong, but he seemed to think this was a funny thing to say.) At this point, my Dad whooped his butt.
Good for your Dad! I bet your brother never said that word again, did he? The same thing happened to me, except it was Mom and instead of an ass-whoopin’ I got my mouth literally washed out with soap. Too many parents don’t take the direct approach with their kids any more.
I live in a high-school district that has both middle-class and lower-class kids in it, just about all white. The district next to us, who are our big rivals in athletic contests, is all pretty much upper class and also just about all white – the joke is that if they announce over the intercom that someone has to move their BMW or Mercedes, it’ll be a student that has to go outside, not a teacher. The economic difference between the schools is apparent to all, especially when you go to the games and match up the cars and clothing of the parents and the kids on both sides.
Comes Friday before the football game between the rivals. The upper class-district kids decide to have a “dress like [my kids’ school] day”. Apparently about 1/2 the student body show up wearing “wife-beater” T-shirts (the local name for sleeveless T-shirts) (don’t blame me, I didn’t make it up), blacked-out teeth, ripped jeans, etc. A number of girls stuffed sweaters and small pillows up under their shirts and made out like they were pregnant.
There was a big hoo-rah in the papers, the school administration apologized, etc., etc. But my daughter told me that most everybody at their school thought it was pretty damn funny and really didn’t think any apology was necesary. Apparently they can stand a little mocking, and recognize that there’s a bit of truth behind it.
But you don’t hear about those types of families in the news and on TV and in the movies.
Hell no you don’t. Because it’s not entertaining, at least not in the cheap attention-getting way that sells radio and TV time and movies. It glorifies what’s good, and it’s way too damn hard for someone with limited dreams or skills to make that something people will watch on TV.
Oh, and hey – those kids in those pictures? There’s white kids in my lily-white Chicago suburb who wear that kind of stuff every day and think they’re being “real” and cool. And there’s plenty of other kids that would mock them in just this kind of way without much thought they were mocking blacks in general.
Warning: immense tangent follows
Too many parents don’t take the direct approach with their kids any more.
Wow. I’m speechless. I decided not to write the comment that first came to mind because I don’t think that this is the right thread for it. I can sum it up (in much nicer words) by writing that corporal punishment is not an acceptable component of raising a child.
Apparently they can stand a little mocking, and recognize that there’s a bit of truth behind it.
The “mocking”, in this case, coming from well-off students mocking them for being poorer, and being unable to afford expensive dental care or abortions like their rich rivals. How funny!
As for butt-whoppin’, RonF, feel free to punch out your own kids’ lights, but I have to tell you that my parents’ “direct approach” did not lead me to become an obedient child who never swore. It did make me very good at lying to my parents, though.
Tangential link:
http://www.apa.org/releases/spanking.html for how the APA summarizes studies on corporal punishment.
The amusing thing is that when I looked at the costumes they seemed, to me, to be trying to dress up like WHITE “ghetto” people. (Um, did everyone else forget that lots of white and other non-black folks live in ghettos, slums, or impoverished areas?)
OK, OK, I have the unfortunate experience of having lived in Rhode island for a while, where blacks were about as common in my town as bluebirds. That said, for a period of some years I saw lots of folks dressed like that. All of them were white.
Obviously things like blackface, Afro wigs, the use of the n-word, etc, would qualify this event as racist. But mocking the poor? mocking those who have flashy dress? i’m not sure that’s racist and not mere idiocy.
Mostly I prefer to think of that as classist rather than racist, mostly because i don’t think blacks have (or want) a monopoly on those things. nor, from what i’ve read, would it necessarily be a good idea to assume that every attack on the POOR is an attack on BLACKS–again, not a great association, ya know?
corporal punishment is not an acceptable component of raising a child.
Well, you can raise your kids as you please.
punch out your own kids’ lights
I interpreted “ass-whompin'” as a euphemism for spanking, not “punching out a kids’ lights”. Which speaks to the link you posted, Jake. It’s very careful to note that the studies that show a negative correlation between spanking a child and undesirable outcomes for various reasons haven’t been able to sort out kids getting spanked a bit from kids who were severely abused – there’s a lot of lying going on.
Me, I spanked my son twice, I believe. One when he endangered someone. Another time when he bullied someone and I figured an example of what it feels like to have someone bigger than you do that kind of thing. That was followed up by no TV for 5 months, which meant not a lot of TV for my wife and I either, since we only had one TV.
When someone comes out with a study where the subjects are using mild corporal punishment and weeds out all the child abusers, I’d be interested in seeing it.
On the spanking issue, let’s hold off on that due to the thread derailment isssue. I will put up another post where y’all can talk about that.
The “mocking”, in this case, coming from well-off students mocking them for being poorer, and being unable to afford expensive dental care or abortions like their rich rivals. How funny!
I’m not saying I condone it; all I’m saying is that the people being mocked seemed to think it was pretty funny when they heard about it.
Interesting that you would presume that the response to a pregnancy would be an abortion, and be limited only by financing. I wonder how many pregnant single women in poor neighborhoods don’t get abortions due to choice, as opposed to a lack of money, and why? I’d wager there’s been a study or two done on that somewhere.
Mostly I prefer to think of that as classist rather than racist,
Yeah, but again, there’s plenty of non-poor kids, both white and black, who dress and act like that.
[quote]Angel H. Writes:
January 28th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Black American female here. Here to share my story:[/quote]
THANK YOU
I’m not black, but this party absolutely disgusts me. Whatever you feel about the “ghetto community” (which incidentally, can be found everywhere, not just black neighborhoods thankyouverymuch) it does NOT remove the fact that PEOPLE are not fucking costumes.
White people mocking what THEY fucking created through centuries of systemactic racism is not clever, it’s not cute, it’s not funny. It’s repugnant.
Half of my family is Native American. Newsflash to white folks. We’re not your costumes, we’re not your mascots. We’re people. And after god knows how many deaths and centuries of fucking oppression, we’ve earned better goddamn treatment than that. That includes the black community.
And just out of curiosity, since when is dressing up like a mammie mocking “ghetto” culture? Aunt Jemima was one of those disgusting costumes. The only way that could possibly be more racist would be to slap a sign on it saying ” house n*gger”.
Why why why do white people fucking insist the people they’re oppression/mocking/hurting stop and cater to them by listening to whatever bullshit intent they claim to have had? Priveldged much?
Yeah, Rachel, I was afraid of that. ‘Nuff said.
Now I’m sittting here wondering what is a more profound form of mockery; a party when people self-consciously dress up like the guys in those two pictures as a joke, or a bunch of white suburban kids dressing up like that and thinking they are taking it seriously?
I’m sitting here wondering how far one would have to have ones head shoved up ones ass to say ” Hey, for MLK day, lets all dress up like slave mammies and thugs. It’ll be a hoot!”.
“I’m asking you to recognize racism when it’s sitting right in front of you, waving a huge flag that says “racism here!”
Just remember that any environmental regulation or labour law is socialism, which is to say communism, which is to say traitor to the country. The Right is perfectly capable of using ‘giant social constructions’ when it sees fit. The difference is that any racial or ethnic token called onto CNN has his/her own loud, obnoxious upper class white foil, whereas you can equate the welfare state with socialism in the highest levels of discourse.
“And just out of curiosity, since when is dressing up like a mammie mocking “ghetto” culture?”
It’s not, but that doesn’t mean upper class white people shouldn’t get another round of the pity party and droning on about how bad they’ve been victimized the past few decades.
Interesting that you would presume that the response to a pregnancy would be an abortion, and be limited only by financing.
I went to a high school much like the rich kids’. Abortion is certainly limited by more than financing, but believe you me, in a community where the traditional Sweet Sixteen present is a new sports car and all good girls go to nationally-recognized colleges after high school, nobody’s parents are going to let a pregnancy get in the way of anyone’s career choices.
And please don’t pretend that the implication of ‘the people made fun of thought it was funny ‘ is anything other than ‘so it’s not really that bad’.
Just some facts I thought you shoul all know about the party:
1. It was not held on MLK day or MLK weekend
2. No one dressed up like any certain race. There were no Afro wigs, face paint or any other implication of one race.
3. It may have been culturaly incensitive but race was not part of the party. In fact a person was asked to leave after making a racial comment.
4. The party was attended by Blacks, Whites, Hispanics and Asians.
5. The party was attended by many members of the community not just law students, Landscapers, a Bartender, several construction workers.
Just thought you should know the facts before commenting.
I’m asking you to recognize racism when it’s sitting right in front of you, waving a huge flag that says “racism here!”
OK. It’s pretty racist to have this kind of party on/themed around MLK Day.
Thanks for conceding that, Robert. Rereading my previous post, I think my tone was too harsh, and I apologize for that.
KJ, there are two parties under discussion here; one of them (the one in Texas) did indeed take place on MLK day and was MLK themed (watch the MSNBC report Rachel linked to in her post, if you don’t believe me). The so-called “ghetto” dress included one student dressed as Aunt Jemima.
Ampersand,
I understand there are two parties. I just am afraid people are combining and linking the two. The Uconn party and the Texas party had two different themes and two different implications. I understand people are offended by both, and I am not judging that, but I do think it is important if people are going to be offended by the Uconn party that they know what actually occured.
That being said, I would also like to comment on the Mike N. situation. I know Mike well and I am disheartened that he has been chosen to be the punching bag for this issue. First off Mike didn’t even dress up in a “ghetto” outfit. Secondly, Mike was the only one who went to the party who has had the courage to stand up and put his name out there. The only one who has given a public apology. What more do people want from him. He made a mistake as did 70 other adults. Should we damage everyone’s reputation, publish all of their names online, maybe we should have everyone wear a Scarlett Letter. I am sure none of you calling for Mike;s resignation, have ever made a mistake that hurt others. I am sure you have never made a decision you thought was harmless and then later realized it hurt someone. The best way to deal with a split amongst cultures, is probably not for each side to get mad, point fingers, post nasty things and yell. It is probably a better idea for everyone to grow up, those who went to the party and those that are trying to ruin people’s reputations, and maybe we can all come together and try to understand and solve these issues.
Amp, I thought we were only talking about the uconn party. My mistake; thanks for pointing that out.
As a result, it’s an interesting opportunity to focus on the differences between the two parties, as well as the similarities. Right?
Because I, for one, would heartily agree that having it on MLK weekend and/or dressing up as Aunt Jemima (which is “black” imagery, not “ghetto” imagery) is both offensive AND racist. Obviously so (at least to me.)
So then I’m interested to know if/why others would see the UCONN party (which didn’t have those elements) as racist.
KJ, your entire post comes across as “Stop picking on my friend”, which is not a persuasive argument.
As I understand the problem, the UCONN party is apparently reflective of latent racism in upper-middle class society, such that stereotypes are internalized and “mocked” with apparent disregard for what they represent. I attend UCONN law, but did not attend the party. However, based on the descriptions, pictures (including those not distributed to the media) and personal friendships with both the party hosts and attendees, I’m more inclined to say the party represented classism (as someone else pointed out) rather than racism. While I can’t speak authoritatively for everyone involved, I know several people at the party that wear the clothes they chose for their “costume” in their homes, including the do-rags, hoodies, wife-beaters, etc. Without bringing an elitism argument to an already difficult discussion, the party allowed people to wear, in public, things they may like to wear in private but are unable to wear to school or elsewhere because of the culture with which they are associated.
Hip-hop has created its own culture that is comprised of all races and religions (for example MatisYahu, self-described as “Hasidic hip-hop reggae” and Kenny Mohammed, a Muslim beatboxer). I don’t believe that emulating successful individuals, whose images are portrayed in every medium, should fall under the category of racism.
KJ, I wanted to respond to your comments about Mike Nichols. Sorry, I don’t have much time, but I just wanted to focus on a few points.
You said, “That being said, I would also like to comment on the Mike N. situation. I know Mike well and I am disheartened that he has been chosen to be the punching bag for this issue. First off Mike didn’t even dress up in a “ghetto” outfit. Secondly, Mike was the only one who went to the party who has had the courage to stand up and put his name out there. The only one who has given a public apology.”
I didn’t call for his resignation, in part because I agree with some of your points. He had the courage to stand up, and take responsibility. However, he is in the position of being an “elected official.” I know–I have voted for that position when I was a graduate student. As an elected official, he represents the entire graduate student population at UConn, not just the law school and not just whites. This has been a publicity nightmare for the school, and it simply doesn’t look well for UConn grad students. How are the students who don’t condone this behavior supposed to feel about having their representative partake in this party? Maybe if the students send him letters, he can take them back and share them with the people who were at the party, so they can get a sense of how this behavior affects the entire grad student population, especially the African American graduate students, who are overwhelmingly outnumbered on that campus.
KJ said, “What more do people want from him. He made a mistake as did 70 other adults. Should we damage everyone’s reputation, publish all of their names online, maybe we should have everyone wear a Scarlett Letter.”
If you know Mike and speak to him, I would ask you to tell him that this is his chance to be a real leader. Rather than feeling attacked and having self pity, he could use this as a chance to improve that status of race relations at the school. He could use this as an opportunity to talk about why African American students are so underrepresented in grad school at UConn (or to learn about why this is). He could help organize a forum that includes all campuses, not just the law school, to discuss this issue and how the school can move forward. Mike, should view this as an opportunity to make something good out of a bad situation.
KJ said , ” I am sure none of you calling for Mike;s resignation, have ever made a mistake that hurt others. I am sure you have never made a decision you thought was harmless and then later realized it hurt someone. The best way to deal with a split amongst cultures, is probably not for each side to get mad, point fingers, post nasty things and yell. It is probably a better idea for everyone to grow up, those who went to the party and those that are trying to ruin people’s reputations, and maybe we can all come together and try to understand and solve these issues. ”
First off, people have a right to be upset, and the idea that anybody who is upset is immature is condescending, and quite frankly, it is the last thing that people need to be saying to the students on campus who are offended. The people who put on the party need to show some responsibility for their behavior. Once they do this; then the dialogue can move on to a discussion of racism on campus–what it is and how it can be challenged?
As for Mike, he could be one of the key leaders in this dialogue. He could arrange an open forum or a meeting along with the Black Graduate Student Association at the Storrs campus to discuss what happened and how the students can grow from this.
This is not about individual reputations. People are upset about what this kind of behavior symbolizes, how it affects the university, and what we can do to improve our society and the little microcosm that is UConn, so we really do have equal opportunities.
Personally, I think your friend Mike could really stand up and do some good. Please pass that on to him.
WH,
With all due respect when was the last time you saw Matisyahu wear a do rag?
C’mon now. I follow hip hop, and incidently he’s reggae, but I’ll humor you and call him hip hop.
Rachel-
Sorry, should have made my point more clear. Two things -first of all, my point was that hip-hop transcends races and classes (as does all music). Secondly, given its popularity, I wanted to distinguish between emulation and mockery. Matisyahu doesn’t wear do-rags because they are proscribed by his religion but I can obviously point to any other white rapper (Eminem, Sage Francis, even Kevin Federline, unfortunately) or tv show (Da Ali G, The (White) Rapper Show) for evidence that the clothes are associated with a culture and not a race.
Rachel,
I did not mean to insinuate that all those who were/are offended are being immature. Albeit, there are a lot of people being immature. I think however there are a majority of people at the law school being very mature in their handeling of the situation. First is BLSA. I have spoken to several members of BLSA and I am impressed with their response. They have used this to do exactly as you said, focus on the racial and diversity issues at UCONN. However there are a few people who have chosen to use this issue to advance there own personal agenda and there are others who have attempted to ruin people’s reputations and there are others who have posted pictures of saltine crackers on their facebook and called for crackerjack parties. I am not saying people can’t be hurt or offended, I think people have every right to be hurt and offended. The quesion is how do we use this situation to make things better? I personally think the first step is for all those who are angry to put the anger aside and talk to each other about the issues and attempt to create a combined resolution.
KJ said, “I personally think the first step is for all those who are angry to put the anger aside and talk to each other about the issues and attempt to create a combined resolution.”
I agree with most of what you said. I disagree with your last sentence to some extent. I think I would argue that the best thing would be for the people who held the party to say they are sorry first, and then the people who are angry will probably be much less angry, but we are really quibbling over the order of events here.
“I personally think the first step is for all those who are angry to put the anger aside and talk to each other about the issues and attempt to create a combined resolution. ”
I personally think the first step is for people to stop thinking they’re entitled to tell me to put aside my anger at being degraded so we can have a dialogue, or think I have any responsibility in resolving their racist issues.
WE dont need to fix YOU being a racist jerk. *YOU need to fix YOU being a racist jerk. And racist jerks aren’t entitled to one damn thing until they do fix it.
It’s 2007 and long past the time we have to have racism 101.
*a general use of you, not you specifically
What more could anyone want from this guy in particular? How about the intelligence to treat human beings as human beings first and not after getting caught being an idiot.
In the long list of mistakes I’ve made in my life, somehow I’ve managed to never ever make one that could even remotely resemble racism or even classisim. It’s surprisingly simple to avoid.
In the long list of mistakes I’ve made in my life, somehow I’ve managed to never ever make one that could even remotely resemble racism or even classisim. It’s surprisingly simple to avoid.
Wow. I’m impressed. I have certainly made mistakes that resembled (if they were not outright) racism and classism. It’s really hard to avoid when you grow up in a racist and classist society. Perhaps my most painful memory was the one when I was 8 and my family was visiting some friends in Virginia and I thought that I was being conscious of the racial dynamics. Whoo, that’s embarrassing.
For me, the important thing is acknowledging that what you did is racist or classist, apologizing for it and never doing it again. But that’s just me.
unlike some racist jerks, others don’t know that some of the things they do are racist, or may be perceived as racist. Some, *gasp* may not be jerks at all. Like many of the UConn students have stated, they did not realize their actions would be hurtful to other members of the community. I’m certain that if they did, as they have stated, they wouldn’t have gone to the party. I also believe that many of them are sorry and want to do what they can to prevent something like this from happening again.
This is not “racism 101.” This is much more complicated, and some real discussion, without name calling, or harsh judgments, can be helpful in bringing the two cultures together.
Personally, I find some of the statements directed at partygoers, calling them racist, jerks, rich kids or ignorant to be filled with more hate and anger than were any of the actions taken by the partygoers.
While you are entitled to be angry, and I’m not going to say that you shouldn’t be, its taking the next step that is most important.
okay I’ve read up and the details now.
Here’s how I break it down.
Costume parties are by nature disrespectful. This can be okay. Not everything needs to be completely respected all the time and circumstances matter. For example: Wearing a police costume to a cops and robbers party is fine. Having a Cops and Robbers party right after a highly publicized funeral is rude.
Being disrespectful of a group of people because of their race is racist. Almost by definition. Ghetto isn’t a race. It’s not even a class. As one of the commenters pointed out up-thread Ghetto isn’t even representative of the ghetto, it’s really Hip Hop.
So I don’t think a ghetto/hip hop party is inherently racist. But it could be with very little change.
Holding a party where you are disrespectful of a group of people on a day designed to honor that group of people is very disrespectful, rude and (depending on the groups involved ) racist, unpatriotic, anti-Semitic, etc. If you use images that are widely accepted as racist/sexist/offensive in the process it doesn’t leave a lot of room for doubt.
I guess I think a ghetto or Hip Hop party isn’t that big a deal. The attire is not uniquely associated with blacks. It’s not generally thought to be racist (as black face or an aunt jamima costume is) and I wouldn’t think that the people at the party are racist. Ghetto isn’t a race. It’s not even a class. As one of the commenters pointed out up-thread Ghetto isn’t even representative of the ghetto, it’s really Hip Hop.
Dressing up as Aunt Jamima for a ‘black’ themed party on MLK day is offensive and racist.
First I want to say, these students are in law school, so that would make them how old??? I thought that parties such as this, usually ended in the undergrad years. Ummm, just an observation. Secondly, being law sudents, they could have presented the school in a more positive manner. Be it UCONN or a school in Texas, they could have invited area high school students on campus and spoke on laws, and the positive influences different laws can make in society. Or go to low privileged areas and visit boys and girls clubs and stress the importance of staying in school and making a change for their future.
Now that’s worth a celebration!
PS said, “Personally, I find some of the statements directed at partygoers, calling them racist, jerks, rich kids or ignorant to be filled with more hate and anger than were any of the actions taken by the partygoers.”
Oh give me a break calling somebody rich is not going to hurt them, and furthermore, speaking for myself, I am calling their behavior racist because if it quacks like a duck then it is a duck.
Being called racist or rich is not the end of the world. I have heard people get really mad about being called racist, but these are the same people who engage in bigoted behavior. My sense is that many people don’t mind being racist, but they do mind being called on it.
Rachel S.– “My sense is that many people don’t mind being racist, but they do mind eing called on it.”
Agreed. Once the word “racist” comes into play, the wall of denial goes up, so people can construct alternative and innocuous explanations for their behavior. Instead, they should be take a step back and critically examine this issue, and hopefully even arrive at the conclusion that their actions did in fact perpetuate racist stereotypes. The word “racist” is not limited to describing blatant acts of bigotry. It’s much less obvious than a cross burning on your black neighbor’s lawn or a white guy dressed in black face; but modern acts of racism achieve the same effect of keeping the people in power in those positions.
My only hope is that the people who planned and/or attended this party come to an understanding of what was wrong, and why it was wrong, and not just be upset that they were caught in the act.
On my cousin’s myspace page, she posted pictures of herself and her friends at a New Year’s Eve party with a “white trash” theme. From both a race and ecconomic standpoint, they could be said to have been engaging in self-mockery, and I was amused by the pictures, but I was also disturbed in some way I do not know how to articulate Am I being too sensitive, or can someone think of a good reason that it is problamatic for sub-rural lower middle class white people to put on a “white trash” party?
It also occures to me that if you took the malt liquor out of the pictures of the ghetto parties and put in Pats Blue Ribbon, they would look like the pictures from my cousin’s white trash party.
“Wow. I’m impressed. I have certainly made mistakes that resembled (if they were not outright) racism and classism. It’s really hard to avoid when you grow up in a racist and classist society. Perhaps my most painful memory was the one when I was 8 and my family was visiting some friends in Virginia and I thought that I was being conscious of the racial dynamics. Whoo, that’s embarrassing.”
Maybe it’s because I’ve been the target of it. Get called a praire n*gger most of your life and you might be more aware of it.
Not to pick nits, but I know white people who drink “Malt Liquor”. I had a 2 liter bottle of it at a baby shower yesterday and everyone there thought it was fantastic.
Forget drinking 40’s, I’m talking about drinking 70’s :)
That said, the day a group can’t make fun of itself (in re, Decnavda’s cousin’s MySpace page) isn’t a day I’m looking forward to.
” Like many of the UConn students have stated, they did not realize their actions would be hurtful to other members of the community. I’m certain that if they did, as they have stated, they wouldn’t have gone to the party.”
yes, because it takes a genius to figure out why dressing as a mammy would be hurtful.
My anger stems at constantly being told I have to navigate my life around the intent of clueless people. And it never ever fails, when a discussion of racism pops up, there are people among the most common offending group that start whining about their intent. Must be nice to have that priveledge. Personally, I wouldn’t know.
My anger stems at constantly being told I have to navigate my life around the intent of clueless people.
Welcome to life as a human being, pheeno.
pheeno,
I just wanted to tell you that I support you. I know that you have a right to be angry, and you have a right to express that anger.
Unfortuantely, this thread follows a typical pattern on most white sites, be they liberal, progressive, or conservative. I guess the good news is that there are several supportive people, but they tend to be overshadowed by the apologists, who look for every excuse in the book to deflect from the subject of racism. THe apologists work very hard, trying to reframing it as classism, engaging in a debate about how much intent matters, talking about how nice/wonderful/non-racist the people in question are.
I know it is frustrating, very frustrating, and it is tempting to give up when you have so many whites who don’t want to listen to a damn thing you have to say. Keep speaking up…..
Decnavda,
There is something queasy about throwing a “white trash” theme party, unless it is simply an “oh, to hell with it, come as you are” party. Even if the participants are sub-rural and lower middle class, I would still suspect that the distinction between a “let’s dress up as the media exaggerated stereotypes of ourselves” party, and a “let’s dress up as that which we can be thankful we are not, even if we may be close” party is a hard one to maintain. If I and my friends threw a “geek, nerd, dork” party, would our pocket protectors and duct-taped glasses, our 1 month BO and greasy hair, our obsessive monologuing of the episode titles of TOS Start Trek in the order they were referenced in the Star Trek Wars episode of Futurama, or our furry costumes really be a satire of the cultural concepts of geek, nerd and dork, or would they really be an expression of what we ourselves aren’t, a way of proving that we aren’t really as bad of geeks, nerds and dorks as other people are?
Even harder to tell, and therefore even more queasy making, is whether some other group of people at some party you weren’t at, were on the right side of that line.
And, of course, hierarchy of oppression matters too. Geeks, nerds, and dorks just don’t suffer anything like the same level of oppression as black people or poor, rural white people, so a party mocking geeks, nerds, and dorks is less queasy making than a party mocking poor white people or a party mocking black people is.
I plan to, and thank you.
What some of these people dont get (Robert) is that minorities are rather sick to death of hearing what amounts to ” YOU dont really know what racism is when you see it, here, let me explain it and why it couldnt possibly be racist. My intent supercedes your entire races experience and intelligence” That in and of itself is insulting as all hell. I’m sure I’ll have to play mommy and hand walk you through why as well.
I dont need a white person to explain what is or is not racist. Your intent does not hold higher priority than my lifetime of experiencing it on a daily basis, nor the few centuries of my race’s history. Your perception of racism, is, Im sorry to say abit skewed. You might try the novel idea of listening to people who experience it and don’t have the luxury of pausing to indulge your explanation of “intent”. That you think we do or should is a sign of your priveledge. Priveledge gained, might I add, at the expense of others.
I’ve been following this story since I heard about it, and it is upsetting me at increasing levels daily. People who were offended by this party and have spoken out have been labeled on various blogs as “hypersensitive lunatics,” “overly sensitive minorities,” “ridiculous,” etc. Consistently following those remarks are the justifications that this party targeted hip hop, the ghetto, or class, and basically anything except race.
I agree with Pheeno–the ones here who have the luxury of debating that their actions aren’t racist because they didn’t mean them to be are the ones who don’t have to wake up to being the target of racism every day. They’re the same people who don’t see privileges as the privileges they in fact are, but consider those privileges to be rights.
Instead of deflecting blame in one’s actions to avoid being called “racist,” why not focus on the EFFECT of those actions, instead of just the intentions behind them.
*snorts* That would require work on their part…and we all know it’s our job to fix them, and their system and not, ya know, their responsibility or anything.
Just to respond to everyone — as a UConn law student who attended the party, wanted to drop a few words. First, tonight we had a very productive campus meeting, in which both those who were offended, and those who had offended, spoke out.
The comments were all slightly different, but pointed in the similar direction. Those of us who attended the party are deeply ashamed that our actions offended anybody. No one had any intent of such things happening, and no one (to my knowledge) attended the party with any maliciious intent.
That said, we also recognize that just because we didn’t mean to offend, doesn’t mean that offense is not warranted. I personally am looking forward to talking with and working with those who were offended by our actions, so that we can come to a better understanding of how people from backgrounds other than ours feel and think, and how we can better relate to them.
So to the above poster, it seems as though everyone here really is looking to address the effect of their actions. I saw and heard many positive things tonight, with people on both sides coming together to discuss what happened. I think all those involved, even those offended, realize now that any harm was completely unintentional, and that the offenders really wish to try and take steps to make sure questions of diversity and culture are better seen to here.
Again, I saw many positive things tonight — it really seems as though people are going in the right direction by attempting to take positive action to educate themselves and others as to why this party was offensive. There were no hollow apologies here — just a community of people who are all deeply upset and ashamed that this happened and want to do their best to make things right, and to do our best to increase the level of understanding at our campus.
I think the reason that people become defensive when accused of racism is because they think it’s pretty terrible. One of the reason that they look at the issue (apologize or what have you) I think it should be this way. If the definition is broader than that, If any insensitive act that affect the sensitivity of a non-white person is enough to make the perpetrator a racist than it’s not as terrible.
btw I thought the Uconn students weren’t the ones dressing up as mammy, i thought that was the Texas jerks.
This is much more complicated, and some real discussion, without name calling, or harsh judgments, can be helpful in bringing the two cultures together.
Real discussion doesn’t happen until the people who were being assholes say “You know what, we were being assholes. We’re really sorry about that, and we’d like to learn how not to make that mistake again.”
Here are some things that do not prompt “real discussion”: scolding the people who weren’t being assholes about how harsh they are; excusing the assholes because the poor things didn’t know any better*.
*They can figure out the Rule Against Perpetuties, but not that mocking people for their income or race is bad. Riiight.
sorry, just have to respond to mythago… if you find one law student or practicing lawyer who understand the rule against perpetuities, throw their ass on the u.s. supreme court!!
Racism IS pretty terrible, and if people only look at it in a context of “something that happens by actions of people other than me,” then that doesn’t achieve much. People who went to this party have been quick to contrast it from the Texas party, noting all of the differences to justify how the UConn one wasn’t racist, instead of noting the similarities, or just looking at it independently.
What would have put the UConn party so over the top to make it undeniably racist where we would be reluctant to defend the people who went to it? What if a white guy wore corn rows? Or an afro wig? Or what if someone brought fried chicken there? These are all things that someone could make similar arguments about being “ghetto” or “urban” and not about race, but the collective affect of these stereotypes is that they are targeting blacks.
I’m also curious to know–one person on this blog mentioned earlier that someone was thrown out of the UConn party for saying something racist. Now, why do you think that would be? Do you think that someone just pulled a Mel Gibson and got drunk and made racial slurs completely out of nowhere, or do you think it may have just had something to do with the fact that people were lampooning their perception of a particular segment of a certain race and someone said something connected to that? If anyone knows the details of that particular incident at the party, please share.
I think most people are willing to do that, to an extent. The defensiveness lies in how quick the people at the party were automatically deemed assholes, racists and ignorant without giving them a chance to say “wow, i really did not think about the effect of my actions or realize how bad that was. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”
I also feel that being lumped together with the actions of the Texas students who, in my opinion, were at the least much bigger assholes in throwing a party on MLK day, caused UConn students to get on the defensive.
That aside, in general, you’re right upper middle class white students in Connecticut don’t think about racism everyday, because it’s not a part of their life, at least not in the same way that it is to a black student. That’s just the reality, so when they say it didn’t occur to them that wearing baggy clothes to a party would be hurtful, I think they’re sincere, but I think the apology is just as sincere. The next step is moving away from this incident, and really having a dialogue about what is hurtful and how can we can work together to prevent future problems.
UConn One L,
Thanks for stopping through. I’m glad to see that this has become a catalyst for discussion.
Not to support Joe, because I think Joe needs to work on Joe as it is, but Joe’s comment that racism is viewed as this terrible thing is, I think, a large part of why kids at places like UCONN get the dumb idea to have parties and make fun of other people.
It’s not like anti-Irish sentiment in this country was just about wearing green, getting drunk, and calling each other “Laddy”, anti-Irish sentiment was about denying Irish people housing, jobs, and a slew of other things. Not that this particular part of American history is taught all that much, but some of us are more aware of it than others and find such depictions of Irish people pretty offensive. Happy St. Patrick’s Day ;)
The best suggestion I’ve read thus far is “If you fun of ghettos, you have to go to one“. And this is where what Joe wrote comes in again — please, find another word for being “culturally insensitive” because what happens in the ghetto isn’t just a bunch of white kids wearing “ghetto” clothes and drinking 40’s. White middle schoolers making “W” signs with their fingers and saying “Westssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!” isn’t what happens in the ghetto either. What happens in the ghetto, and the workplace, and the marketplace, and the legal system, and so on — that’s racism.
UConn One L:
Is there any insight you can give us regarding the thought process that led to the choice of theme for the party?
I think that this country has an inherent problem with bigotry, racism and stereotypical behavior in general. Even statements and actions by celebrities Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, and most recently Isiaiah Washington have fallen under scrutiny because of the insensitve nature and hurtfulness of their actions. These actions further demonstrate the lack of respect that people of different races, sexual orientation, religion receive in this country on a daily basis and they are bubbling to the surface for everyone to see.
It is very sad to see law students participating in behavior that uses stereotypes most commonly associated with the African American community — especially during a time when we need to celebrate the memory and achievements of MLK.
These are all symptoms of the real problem with race relations and general tolerance of the different races and religions in this country.
This is 2007, when will the US wake up and fix these social problems? It starts with us, the students now that will soon have families of our own who should teach the younger generations that this type of behavior is not acceptable.
The choice of theme was “bullets and bubbly” and according to the invitation required either hip hop attire and 40’s or debutante ball attire and champagne. Half of the attendees were dressed in suits, tuxedos and ball gowns, while the other half dressed in hip hop attire – mostly athletic jerseys, hooded sweatshirts, and baggy jeans. My impression was that it was supposed to be funny because of the contrast between the two styles of dress. There was no mention of race in the invite at all.
Also, it was a birthday party – the proximity to MLK Day was purely coincidental, and not intentional.
As far as the thought-process, I believe some students had been to a similar themed party in college.
PS,
Having managed to escape college over 20 years ago, I’m not familiar with a “Bullets and Bubbly” party, is it the same thing as a “Ghetto Fabulous” party?
“My impression was that it was supposed to be funny because of the contrast between the two styles of dress. There was no mention of race in the invite at all.”
The two styles of dress do make a contrast—urban black/minorities vs. rich whites. They didn’t necessarily have to mention race in the invite to have a racial effect.
As for my take on the “thought process” that went into the theme selection for this party, this is just me, but I’m imagining 4 upper middle class suburban white girls giggling in their apartment in West Hartford about how this would be soooo funny (hee hee), and oh my gosh, we have to go to Filene’s to get “ghetto clothes” like Baby Phat or Fubu (so rad!), and we totally can’t forget the giant gold earrings or the toy guns, oh and someone’s got to be in charge of buying the malt liquor before the store closes at 9. But that’s just my guess on how the party planning session went.
It’s just as i described, bullets=40’s(40 oz bottles of malt liquor) and bubbly=champagne. So it was more like half “ghetto fabulous”, and half prom/debutante ball.
In that sense, in my opinion, the idea behind it was not to mock ghetto culture, or black culture, but to dress in contrasting styles.
I wonder why they didnt dress up as “rednecks” then for the bullets part…oh thats right, beer is the stereotyped drink of choice for rednecks. The stereotypical choice for blacks is….
No…no race implied there AT ALL.
(sarcasm)
Pheeno,
Not to be overly pedantic, but “Malt Liquor” is … beer.
It’s not surprising that these kinds of insensitive, stereotype-reliant parties take place…just that future lawyers, who ought to be a hell of a lot more sensitive to these exact kinds of issues, were the ones involved. There is some dialogue here from UConn Law Students, with comments ranging from thoughtful to naive.
1)these kids definitely know better.
2) those of you who think this is not racist–you are parsing technicalities. This is hideously offensive, classist and racist.
Where I come from, ghetto-dwellers are of a variety of ethnic origins, but their dress, dialect, and other cultural identifiers remain the same regardless of ethnicity. Though it is true that the majority of people of ethnic minorities are of poorer backgrounds that does not mean that the style is unique to people of minority origin – and so though aping that style is a clear statement regarding class it cannot be considered a true statement about race whilst maintaining intellectual rigour
Unless people attending these Ghetto-Parties are actually blacking-up to attend, it is racist of YOU to assume that these are modes of dress and behaviour attributable only to ethnic minorities!
These parties may be crass and classist, but YUO ARE TEH RACISTS!!!!!!
I think where i disagree (UCONN party only) is with the word ‘hideously’.
I would use mildly, or somewhat in place of hideously.
texas party I agree with you.
Nobody debates that the texas party was racist, right?
the problem is that the uconn party wasn’t the texas party.
And so far, a lot of folks have raised fairly decent questions regarding the accusations of racism and the burden to apologize.
I’m sorry to see that the response to that is (as usual) “those who disagree are being racist.”
Fuck that.
I don’t know if you’re overreacting or not. but I DO know that the approach taken here by Rachel and others seems like unithink. yes, people can be racist when they don’t know it. Yes, people can deny it even when they DO know it.
But you know what? That’s not a universal rule. Sometimes people get offended about things which aren’t racist. Shit happens.
Hell, i can understand it. Given that the world does contain a lot of racism, and that the world does contain a lot of denial, it might make a lot of sense to presume that something is racist.
But that’s presume, not conclude. So when there’s a discussion about it, or disagreement, you should discuss. Or disagree. But the constant pronouncements that your detractors are racist gets old.
I discuss race with a lot of my friends. When one says “dude, that was racist” I take it to heart. But if someone always answered a response of “why?” with “dude, even asking why or disagreeing with me is racist” then they’d be useless. NOBODY–white, black, purple–is right all the time. About ANYTHING.
“. But the constant pronouncements that your detractors are racist gets old.”
Just imagine how old it gets to hear how the minority couldnt possibly be intelligent enough to figure it out, needs a white person to explain *why* in their oh so informed opinion and experience it isnt and then complain that treating people who actually deal with racism like they’re just over reacting or not being reasonable or whatever else makes it sound like they have the problem gets labelled as insulting and condescending.
“Not to be overly pedantic, but “Malt Liquor” is … beer. ”
And when you’re going to stereotype people by beer, Budweiser is for rednecks. Malt Liquor isn’t.
A lot of people drink Malt Liquor. The stereotype of people who drink Malt Liquor is reserved for black people.
A great deal of people who like fried chicken are white. The stereotype is used with black people.
Many people enjoy watermelon. Only one race gets stereotyped over it.
curiousgyrl writes:
No, it’s not “hideosuly offensive, classist and racist”. Sorry — I grew up when there were still “Colored” and “White” things in plain view, for all to see. Calling everything “hideousely offensive, classist and racist”, in my opinion, diminishes those things from the past and creates needleess backlash.
Use the UConn party as a teachable moment? Yes, let’s do that. Let’s say that “racial insensitivity” leads to “racist attitudes” leads to “racist acts”. But this “YOU’RE SO RACIST!” tactic doesn’t work and appears to be bordering on intentionally counter-productive.
Pheeno,
When I want to stereotype rednecks, I’m not going to think about beer brands. And having hung with enough working class whites, I’m here to tell you that they don’t all drink 7oz Miller ponies. When “racism” hinges on knowing which brand of what is “Malt Liquor” and which brand is just “beer”, I’m inclined to think “classism” before I think “racism”. And having drunk my share of 40’s with white and blacks, I think the association is more strongly “class” than “race”. That’s just me, tho, and definitely not excusing classism like racial minorities don’t also get smacked with classist behavior.
As regards your comments at 86, communication works both ways. If you and I want to sit down and hash this stuff out, I’m more than willing to take my lumps. Know your audience, have clear goals, work towards the goals, don’t just work each other over.
There are a number of things that are escaping comment that I feel need to be addressed. First of all, it is unfortunate that the two parties occurred so close together (UCONN and Texas) because they are being lumped together by individuals lashing out blindly.UCONN’s was not a “ghetto fabulous” party. Four girls did not sit in their apartment talking about how they were going to go buy “ghetto clothes”. No malt liquor was provided, no fried chicken was served and no blackface or afros were worn. If you’re committed to having a dialogue, it’s necessary to dispel any rumors and conjecture so that the underlying problem can be exposed for what it is and not for what someone may assume it is. I understand that the onus is on the kids who offended others to come forward and apologize, but blind anger does not help the situation. Like many of you, I’m trying to understand what happened myself but the conversation is difficult when assumptions are made.
Secondly, I think a distinction needs to be made between the selected individuals upon whom the media decided to direct everyone’s attention and the party as a whole. I’m failing to understand why a party that contrasts Hip-Hop culture and black-tie society is construed as racist. While a few individuals may have crossed the line, it certainly is not indicative of the group as a whole. Please don’t attack me on this one…if I’m making a gross error in judgment, help me understand it. As I said earlier, hip-hop is not reflective of one group or another, yet a party juxtaposing it against “debutante ball attire and champagne” is labelled as racist. If the party had been themed “Grillz and Dolls” (sorry, couldn’t come up with anything more creative), would it have been as offensive?
“When I want to stereotype rednecks, I’m not going to think about beer brands.”
That doesnt invalidate the fact that brand and type of alcohol does indeed get used for stereotyping purposes.
“As regards your comments at 86, communication works both ways. If you and I want to sit down and hash this stuff out, I’m more than willing to take my lumps. Know your audience, have clear goals, work towards the goals, don’t just work each other over. ”
I guess I didn’t notice the line in my job description that included hand walking people through racism. If you’re unclear on why minorities “constantly” call a certain response racist, there are books out there that will clear that up. Some of us are tired of having to have these same conversations and hash out why we’re human beings too and why you’re not entitled to have us fix your problem.
Pheeno,
Yes, and some of us are tired of other people making our work harder. Your behavior takes a discussion that should be somewhere around Racism 201 and throws it immediately into a post-doc discussion about why playing on racist stereotypes breeds racist conduct, minority impatience with white conversations about eradicating racism, and a slew of other topics for discussion. All at once.
I think that in 2007 most white kids understand that racism is “bad”. But after a steady diet of horrific descriptions of what racism “is”, getting whacked in the head with “YOU’RE SO RACIST!” for emulating hip-hop culture creates a counter-productive impression of what “racism” is. Let’s get these kids to understand that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that hip-hop culture isn’t the be-all and end-all of African-American life.
Then we can whack them in the head.
WH writes:
Who do you think gets associated more often with which?
Which of those two do you think most people — the great, unwashed masses — view as more socially acceptable?
It’s the connection between social acceptability and race that makes it racist. It’s a message that suggests that blacks don’t “do” black-tie affairs and which associates all the negatives about hip-hop culture with blacks. Once you start accepting these messages as meaningless or inocuous, other more offensive messages become acceptable. No one is born racist — we’re taught to be racist one dehumanizing message at a time. That’s what this conversation is about — having a zero tolerance policy towards these things.
“When I want to stereotype rednecks, I’m not going to think about beer brands.”
That doesnt invalidate the fact that brand and type of alcohol does indeed get used for stereotyping purposes.
Pheeno is absolutely correct. The fact is that the stereotypes are black/malt liquor, white/beer. Whether or not these stereotypes are factually correct, the stereotypes exist. How many times have you seen malt liquor advertisements in which the focus is on whites? You couldn’t ask for better examples than Pheeno’s of other stereotypes (watermelon, fried chicken). And that list goes on.
I hate to bring this up, but what is going on here is the same dynamic I commented on in the thread about non-trans privilege. Those with privilege are denying the validity of the statements of someone from the oppressed group. It might behoove all of us to pay attention to what Pheeno is saying and really analyze our own behaviour and thought patterns. Chances are that Pheeno is a lot more conscious of the manifestations of racism and privilege in this case than we are.
But doesn’t objection to the stereotype indicate an ownership, or acknowledgment, that it exists, where simply ignoring it and failing to be bothered by it would indicate that you don’t identify with that negative stereotype?
Couldn’t black law students just say, “that was insensitive to people who wear gold chains, have grills, and carry guns, or whatever but that’s not me. I’m not a part of the stereotype. I’m smart, capable successful human being.”?
Wouldn’t that do more to combat the stereotype?
???
Whack me with a large brick if I ever say, imply, or agree with someone else who says race and intelligence are linked. I understand that’s an example of racism, and that people DO think that in the world, but what does it have to do with this conversation? Or me?
You can be intelligent and incorrect at the same time, you know.
Experience of what? Attending frat parties with “bullets and bubbles” themes? Given neither you or I were there, what we’re REALLY arguing about is the motivation of the party goers and correct interpretation of the effects of their acts.
I spend a lot of time debating and analyzing that sort of thing in general. Sure, I have my own preconceived notions about the world (we all do) and i come from my own perspective (we all do). Why would this render my views irrelevant, any more so than yours?
Can we lose the code words? What you’re saying here is code for “don’t disagree with me because you’re white and I’m not.” Are you serious?
I didn’t think the initial comments were really an overreaction, because I’ve seen enough similar parties in the news to know that it’s a common, highly sensitive subject. The reactions are normal–just like someone in a war zone shooting back when a firecracker goes off, because they’re used to being shot at and returning fire.
But the issue is what then? What happens when it turns out that as it happens, it was a firecracker and not a gunshot?
Is the response “Oops! Sorry I shot at you, thought you were shooting at me!”; is it
“Don’t try to even tell me it was a firecracker, you untrustworthy slime!”
or is it “Fuck you, so what if you weren’t shooting this time; you and your kind will probably shoot at me some other time anyway!”
Sorry if you choose to be insulted by disagreement. But just as I refuse to accept your label of “racist” merely because I happen to disagree with you, I’m not going to accept your label of “insulting” merely because I point this out.
WH- “I’m failing to understand why a party that contrasts Hip-Hop culture and black-tie society is construed as racist.”
Hypothetically, this might be able to be done in nonracist matter if the people who threw the party were 1. part of the hip-hop culture or 2. did enough homework to understand well the culture/s they were having some fun with. Looking at the Uconn pictures I would say this was definetly not the case. What I see is the reinforcement of racial (and to a lesser extent class) stereotypes, not emulation of a culture.
Furry;
I dont get the distinction between my saing something is racist and your saying it displays “racist attidtudes,” except that your construction distances the people involved from the racism. It seems to me that you are arguing “They are not racists, they are people with racist attitutdes”
Okay, whatever, I dont really care which it is. I agree with you and believe in teachable moments. I teach racist college kids about US history everyday. i dont scream “you’re a racist!” in their faces, though I talk more about “racism” than “racist attitutdes.”
However, I’m pretty frustrated that there are so many adults on this thread, adults who’ve had, presumable lots more teachable moments to reflect on racism than either me or my students who are parsing the fine distincitons here between which amusing stereotypes of black people it is okay to theme your party with, thereby technically avoiding “racism.”
Is Blackface okay?
Aunt jemima and slave outfits?
Grills?
Dreadlocked wigs?
Salacious oversexed pregnant girls?
Gamg signs?
Fried Chicken?
A pimp limp?
Just becuase this crap is banal doesnt make it not racist, and doesnt make it ok.