MLK = gangsta. Asshats, much?

[emmagrant01]

I've heard a bit about one of these stories, but it turns out it didn't happen just once. In at least three separate instances, American college students attended "MLK Day" parties in January, purportedly celebrating black history and culture. And for some reason, these parties attracted white students who dressed up like gangsters -- some in blackface, in one instance as Aunt Jemima, while girls stuffed their pants to make their butts look big, etc. They drank 40s and ate fried chicken, as if this is somehow what represents black America to them.

It sounds too ridiculous to believe, doesn't it? Check out the pictures and tell me this isn't offensive:

Tarleton College pics

Clemson University pics

UConn pics

A BIG WTF to this. Seriously, WTF? What were these people thinking? How can you dress up like a caricature of a black person and go to a party ostensibly celebrating a slain civil rights leader? Of course, these are probably the same asshats who use "gay" as a synonym for "stupid", right?

I weep for the future.

ETA: On a related note:

Watch on YouTube

You might have seen some of that before, but everyone should see it, really. Tell me you can watch those little children pick a doll and not cry. (Thanks to sciencegeek for the link.)

Comments

[capra-maritimus.livejournal.com]

WTF, indeed. And also 'WHAT F**KING ASSHATS!!!'

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I assume this has been going on for years, and has only made news now. Again, WTF?

[liesbyomission.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my university's paper covered this story yesterday. Definite o.O and WTF going on there...

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

It's bizarre that people would think this was a good idea. :-P

[wicked-socks.livejournal.com]

sweet jesus, that's... just. *rages*

How could anyone think that was a good idea?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. And it wasn't even confined to the south. (Which I say as a southerner.) :-P

[kerryblaze.livejournal.com]

And they are the same people who will say that there is no racism and it's all in the minorities heads.

Asshats is right.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. It boggling, really.

[henpecked.livejournal.com]

Yeah.. I actually went to high school with one of the girls in the Clemson Uni photos.

My parents *really* wanted me to go to Clemson (it was cheap and close to family), but I hate football and frats and I actually care about academics. If I didn't feel good about not going there before, I certainly do now.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Oh ho, so a face there is familiar! Were you surprised to see her there?

Sadly, it doesn't seem to be confined to Clemson -- though they seem to be taking the brunt of the media attention.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I know. :-P

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

I can just hope that a majority of people on those campuses were really offended by that.

My first year in college (2001/02), there was a frat (not at my school--the one I went to at that point, anyway) that put on a skit in blackface, and I think the frat was fined and had to do a public apology. It got a lot of media attention.

I don't know how people can't find this offensive.

It would be like celebrating Women's Day by dressing up like hookers, calling other women bitches, and washing dishes.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

When I was in college, there was a frat that had an annual Cinco de Mayo party, and people would wear sombreros and would drink tons of tequila shots and stuff like that. No one really blinked until one year the party's t-shirt (cause all Greek events had their own t-shirts, you know) featured a stereotypical Mexican guy taking a siesta under a tree. The Hispanic groups on campus went ballistic, saying it was racist and promoted a stereotype of a "lazy Mexican". The frat was put on a one-year suspension and publicly apologized, and all those guys had to attend sensitivity training. And that was nothing compared to this, IMO.

It would be like celebrating Women's Day by dressing up like hookers, calling other women bitches, and washing dishes.

Yes, exactly. :-P

[wook77.livejournal.com]

I really think every single one of those students in the pictures should have to attend all sorts of training and shit.

There has to be some sort of "Not using earth logic means you get punished" rule out there. Seriously, this is just OMGWTF?

Who the fucking hell would think this would be a good idea?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

The funny thing about it was that most of these pictures were first posted on MySpace and Facebook, and when the controversy erupted, the posters took them down -- but it was too late.

Serves them right.

[cmere.livejournal.com]

My college is considered one of the most liberal in the country, and over January break our choir held a "Politically Incorrect" party. Some people painted their faces black and were being led around by nooses by people dressed as KKK members, stuff like that. Now there's a huge shitstorm about it. I don't think it was in good taste, but no one here's actually a racist, and now people are equating us with these kind of parties and it makes me sad. :(

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Even when such things are done in jest, I think you have to take a good hard look at the message that's being sent. Whenever people who belong to a privileged group (white, middle class college students, for example) engage in an act that seems to be making light of the real pain of real people, it has an impact.

Some people painted their faces black and were being led around by nooses by people dressed as KKK members, stuff like that.

I'm sure the people who dressed up like that thought they were mocking the KKK or something, but if your father had been lynched by a Klan mob, would you find that funny? What does it say that young people would dress up that way for a party, where they were celebrating and having fun? I'm sorry if this is harsh, but I honestly don't see much of a difference between the party you describe and these.

I'm sure the kids who went to all of these parties just thought they were having a good time. They didn't think about the message they were really sending. But when you stop and think about the message behind it, it's pretty frightening.

but but...

[bostongirl2003.livejournal.com]

what the hell does Martin Luther King, Jr have to do with Malt liquor? How is donning gang colors honoring him?

Did they ever explain why?

Re: but but...

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Oh, they were just having fun! They didn't mean any harm! People are blowing this way out of proportion!

*eye roll*

[rabidpotterfan.livejournal.com]

Okay...if I wasn't scared for the future of this country before I sure as hell am now. Can I just move to a mountain somewhere so I won't have to deal with stupid, clueless people like that?!

I think I'll join you in weeping for the future.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Here's to hoping they'll learn their lesson. *hopes*

[frickonastick.livejournal.com]

Oh this is...disgusting. People like this are the reason for the decline of humanity. And a big WTF?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

What scares me most is that it's probably been going on for decades, and is only now making news. :-P

[viverra-libro.livejournal.com]

Well . . . it's certainly very poor judgment, I'll give you that. But I find it hard to really get too upset about; college students have any number of ludicrous parties of this sort. I mean, what does dressing in a toga and consuming large amounts of beer and hazing freshmen have to do with greek culture? These kids will take any excuse to wear a funny wig and drink. It's certainly in poor taste, but I don't take it as any sort of indictment of the future. :)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

We'll have to agree to disagree, then. If that is really what middle class white kids think it means to be black, it says a whole heck of a lot about racism in this country.

[twigged.livejournal.com]

What a bunch of douchebags.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Srsly. :-P

[kawaiililme.livejournal.com]

You're not weeping alone. I'm a Uni student and I encounter this brand of stupidity on a daily basis and it makes me nauseous. This are the same asshats who think racism no longer exists, who think words like 'feminism' give women a bad name, who have no concept of the glass ceiling, or ageism, or that they're the reason people hate renting to college students and think of us all as drunken, partying, assholes. If you'll excuse my language.

One night when I was working at the on campus security two guys were chatting and the one goes "Let me tell you a joke." It was as follows: "Hey what do you tell a woman with 2 black eyes?.....Nothin, you already done told the bitch twice."

I told him in no uncertain terms that were he EVER to say something like that in my presence again I would be reporting him for sexual harassment so fast he wouldn't even have time to collect his next paycheck. Guy's a total jerk and I should have done it anyway.

And the worst? When girls titter along and think this sort of thing is funny. Or when they encourage stereotypes of black women having large asses, for instance.

Sorry, this has turned into a rant about women's rights and not those of African Americans but hey, minority rights are being trampled all over the place right?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Agreed, 100%. Absolutely. You actually give me some hope for the future, so thank you. :-)

[sulky-rhino.livejournal.com]

Umm, what? O_O

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

[kheha.livejournal.com]

Wow. I could have guessed that this goes on, but wow.

That video, though. That I didn't know went on -- or at least, not to the extent that it's shown. Argh. (And I think, there I was, the age of those girls with the dolls, thinking how much I would have liked to be black -- I definitely thought that black girls were on the whole prettier than white ones. *sigh*)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Isn't it amazing? I saw some footage of the original study when I was in college, and it brought tears to my eyes then. But to think that children still feel that way now -- I have no words.

[sunn-doyouknow.livejournal.com]

I am so ashamed that I went to Tarleton State now!! (not that I wasn't ashamed before-it's a total hillbilly school)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's not just Tarleton -- they got caught, but I'd bet anything it's the tip of the iceberg.

[worn-words.livejournal.com]

that makes me feel embarassed since I live in CT and know people who go to UCONN D: luckily no one I knew went to any of those.

but still... how can people do that?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I really don't get it. :-(

This, again, is one of the main reasons....

[myviciousvixen.livejournal.com]

... That I have you friended! You are always helping me expand my mind. I DID cry over those children. I never had a doubt in my mind as a child that I was beautiful, and it took the world to show me that not everyone agreed. It is painful to think that these little children are not able to think of themselves as beautiful. It takes away the only time in one's life where one can be sure about it. It is really sad to me that it IS 2007, and we have actually regressed. When I was a teenager, I really felt like we had made some strides against being racist, sexist, whatever. I have watched that little bit of headway being shattered since then. It is really sad. Despite how sad, thanks for sharing!

Re: This, again, is one of the main reasons....

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that! Seriously, thanks. I really appreciate it. I think one of the amazing things about fandom is that it's a collection of remarkably likeminded people. I'm proud to know all of these folks, and you too! :-)

[remey.livejournal.com]

i was watching that- and it made me remember my mom told me i would always want the dark skinned dolls-

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Aw, really? *hugs*

[acromantular.livejournal.com]

The thing that *really* gets me- the UConn idiots were in law school. They sound like great future Republican judicial nominees...

The little kids made me sad. I like living in an area where it's really quite hard to identify the racial background of most of the people I see in the street; that has to lead to a healthier outlook on life. Of course, I haven't done any regional surveys.

The older girls were painful, especially when straightening their hair- are there *any* teenage girls who like the way they look? Our culture is just all-around neurotic.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I was watching that and thinking all of those girls were so beautiful. I couldn't imagine that they didn't think so. :-(

[jansong.livejournal.com]

Oh, gosh. Thanks for the links. Progress is so slow! All very sad.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

It is sad, isn't it?

[jansong.livejournal.com]

The girls in the video were so lovely! The jerks in the photos were so NOT.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I know -- all I could think was how beautiful they are!

[sciencegeek.livejournal.com]

The doll part was heartbreaking, but I think just as heartbreaking is the sense of culture loss the girls talked about, you know? I dunno, as a Japanese-Canadian I'm lucky that I know my roots, and connect with my culture, and I think I take that for granted. When I was younger, I wasn't interested, but now I take it for granted that I can ask people about it, I can ask family about it, and there are Japanese Culture Centres around.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I found that part really interesting. I grew up poor in the Appalachian Mountains, and I don't know my heritage, I literally don't know where my ancestors came from, though I can obviously guess Europe. It never really bothered me, either -- but of course, I never really felt like an outsider, so why would it have? I looked like most of the people around me, like the people I saw on TV and in the movies. With the exception of the being female part, I didn't see people who looked like me portrayed negatively.

So I think cultural heritage plays a really big role when you're a minority especially, because that difference probably makes you more aware of yourself. I'm only hypothesizing, but does taht sound reasonable to you?