Students throw a Stereotype Party

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » January 25, 2007, 7:11 pm

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,246884,00.html

Students at Texas College 'Celebrate' Martin Luther King Jr. Day by Throwing Stereotype Party

Thursday , January 25, 2007

Last week, while the nation paused to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a group of students at a Texas college outside Fort Worth marked the day by throwing a party that featured black stereotype costumes — including a student dressed as Aunt Jemima — a main course of fried chicken and cases of malt liquor.

The insensitivity didn't end there. The students then brazenly posted their party photos on the popular Web site Facebook.com for all the world to see.

School administrators at Tarleton State University in Stephenville told FOXNews.com they are investigating an off-campus Martin Luther King Jr. Day student party held on Jan. 15 that the school's president called "reprehensible."

"I am personally insulted by these photographs and am disappointed that Tarleton students have demonstrated such insensitivity," university President Dennis P. McCabe wrote in a letter to students and faculty posted on the school's Web site Wednesday.

"I regret that any of our students have been hurt by the display of these photographs. The students involved have removed them and have expressed regret over offending their fellow students."

"I feel like there is no excuse for this type of ignorance," Donald Ray Elder, president of the school's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, told the Associated Press.

Photographs posted on students' personal Facebook pages showed party attendees donning Afro-style wigs, fake gold jewelry, 40-ounce bottles of alcohol in brown paper bags and mock silver teeth. The photos have now made their way around the Web via TheSmokingGun.com.

In one picture, a student dressed as the character Aunt Jemima holds a bottle of maple syrup in one hand and a bottle in a brown paper bag that appeared to contain malt liquor.

Wanda Mercer, the school's vice president of student life, said an investigation into the party is ongoing.

"We need to find out more about the event, and determine if there were policy violations. Then we'll go from there," Mercer told FOXNews.com.

The university's code of student conduct dictates that students can be punished for their behavior at an off-campus party, depending on the behavior.

Many of the students who attended the party already learned from the incident, Mercer said.

"I think what many of the students involved have been through these last days is huge," she said. "I don't think they’ve learned more in a year than they’ve learned these last few days."

More than 400 students attended a quickly organized forum sponsored by the university Wednesday night that Elder described as "a shaky baby step" in bridging a divide between black and white students on the campus.

The school had about 400 black students out of 7,800 overall last semester, according to the schools Web site.

Marcy Tanter, an associate professor in the English Department and an adviser for the school's NAACP chapter, said the forum was successful.

"There was a little bit of anger, there was a little bit of tension at times, but it was civil," Tanter said. "One of the students who posted the pictures got up and apologized in public."

Tanter maintains that there is generally not a lot of discrimination evident on the Tarleton campus.

"We've had gay students who have been harassed, Hispanic students who have been called names, but it's not all the time, not every day," she said. "Incidents happen, but I wouldn’t say that is the atmosphere of the campus."

Elder told the AP he sensed a racial divide at the forum, with black students sitting on one side of the room and whites on the other.

"It was civil, but it also escalated into a shouting match," he said in a telephone interview afterward.

According to Mercer, there have been no other significant racial incidents since she came to the school several years ago.

"The students involved obviously used very poor judgment," said Mercer. "and I think most of them would tell you that right now."

McCabe, meanwhile, had a final word for the offending students and their classmates.

"Dr. King’s vision for the world was that people be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I challenge students to make character an important priority as they pursue their studies at Tarleton," he said.

Asheran Mojomaster · Post by **Asheran Mojomaster** » January 25, 2007, 8:23 pm

Bah, whats wrong with that. I mean, the only problem I see with it was the day they picked for it. But hell, why not. It would have made more sense to be just a stereotype party in general though, not just a black stereotype one. Dress up as the stereotypes for all races.

cadalano · Post by **cadalano** » January 25, 2007, 9:09 pm

I dont think it was exclusively black stereotypes, thats just all they mentioned. I didnt scour the surface of the article though so maybe i'm wrong

I also personally dont find anything wrong with it except the date. I'm sure a lot of people are already offended and having it on a day like that is just tossing South African extra-salty fire ants on the wound.

Markulas · Post by **Markulas** » January 26, 2007, 2:56 am

That's something that could easily be a Chapelle sketch. Hell the Office did it in their first season.

Despite how despicable it was for them to do that on MLK day, what was the real crime? Could they be punished by law if not by the college?

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » January 26, 2007, 6:56 am

It's supremely idiotic, totally lacking in humour, and the actual damage done is debatable.

But let's give the party it's full title: "Students throw Racist Stereotype Party".

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 26, 2007, 1:39 pm

It gets pretty goddam tiresome having to repeat to a bunch of white males why doing stuff like this is moronic, so just pretend I went off on a 3 paragraph rant on this thread about how stupid you all are.

Asheran Mojomaster · Post by **Asheran Mojomaster** » January 26, 2007, 2:13 pm

Nah, if it was a stereotype party in general they could have made fun of white people too. A fat suit, glasses, a WOW \ EQ \ any online game shirt, etc. Or dress like trailer trash and carry a case of Budweiser (bud light doesnt count). The only thing that makes it wrong is the day they picked, because that does make it seem racist and wrong (and hell, maybe they are racist, I know I wouldnt have participated in something like that on MLK day). People go too far with the racist thing. Everyone knows that stereotypes arent true most of the time.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » January 26, 2007, 2:44 pm

I don't see anything that says people were showing up as anything other than black stereotypes. I think its pretty obvious that it was a BLACK stereotype party. Why else would the organizers pick MLK Day? Duh!

Truant · Post by **Truant** » January 26, 2007, 4:26 pm

For the record, Stephenville (where that University is located) is in the heart of the central texas ranch lands. What I'm trying to say is that it's mostly country, white folk (although there is a growing hispanic population is certain communities!).

I'm not saying it's appropriate or anything at all. But if you spend much time around there (and I have), this sort of bs doesn't really surprise you...which is unfortunate.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » January 26, 2007, 5:20 pm

How is it anyone else's business what a bunch of racist shitbags in Texas do with their day off? Is the fact that there are rednecks who don't like black people big fucking news?

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » January 26, 2007, 5:35 pm

Personally I don't see what the big deal is... it says stereotypes. By definition they realize that they were dressing not as normal africian americans but as those sterotype... people get WAY too upset over this kind of stuff. It's a FREE Country, if someone wants to be a racist bigot, that's their right, if they want to post pictures on the Internet about it... that's their right.

Now if they keep someone from getting a job because of something or hurt someone because of their race, that is totally different and IS a crime and should be one. All this other PC stuff is bullshit IMHO, grow some balls.

Yea for a liberal that may seem insensitive but I think all these whiners need to STFU. This time they just happen to be black but that goes for all of them, many of which I fall into their category... I just don't whine about it.

If something actually hurts someone, I'll be the first person to stand up for their rights but just because something offends someone or hurts their feelings? GTFO. Think of all the fundies that are using these exact same argument against evolution, think of all the Athiest who are afraid that their kid might "see" someone pray, think of the fat people that say hearing McDonald's ads made them eat the food? woooooo etc... too many people in America today are afraid to "hear" or "see" something they don't agree with... so? You don't like it, don't listen to it or watch it... change the channel and/or just ignore the ignorance.

Marb

PS - I'm sick and have had a long week so perhaps this wording is a little harsh. Possible edits later

Leonaerd · Post by **Leonaerd** » January 26, 2007, 6:33 pm

Personally I don't see what the big deal is... it says stereotypes. By definition they realize that they were dressing not as normal africian americans but as those sterotype...

That's the impression I get out of this whole thing. A private party where stereotypes are exercised on purpose and for satire is not the same as an incitably racist remark, i.e. when Kramer went ape on stage.

Embracing our cultural* differences (yes, there ARE differences between blacks, whites, southerners, northerners, and even males and females!!!) is the best way to alleviate the power that racism in all its forms has on our nation. Saying that the party was bad form because blacks are not different from whites is more racist than just accepting that one is not the other.

I had an engineering internship two years back and in it we had what was called "diversity training," (because forced diversity is the right diversity) which called for us to go out of our way to have conversations ("conversate," as the director called it) with people of opposing sex / ethnicity / race. Their philosophy was that we are all equal people, with no differences (IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS KEKEK) and we should embrace that fact by being forced to speak to others that *gasp* are different from us. Perplexing? Paradoxical? Welcome to corporate equality!

"Hi, I'm Greg. I'm speaking to you because you're not white. I respect that your skin color is not indicative of you as a whole, yet I go out of my way to speak to you based on your supposedly irrelevant color. I hope you hate me as a result of this."

^ Was basically what I said to the random person I was forced to befriend.

My wish is that people in suits stop trying to pander about their gigantic, impressive, massively awesome, perfect diversity schemes as if they're the solution to everything and are meant to be abided by. Nobody has a solution to racial / ethnic / gender / demographical tension, and to pretend we do and act upon that imaginative truth is folly. FOLLY I SAY.

What these kids did at the party was no more racist than thousands of people getting into colleges with worse credentials than the average applicants.

* or genderal, or ethnical, or demographical, or other words with "al" at the end

Nick · Post by **Nick** » January 26, 2007, 7:16 pm

Obiously they are morons but how exactly is this newsworthy? No laws were broken and ultimately who gives a fuck what some people did in their own party.

Big fucking deal.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » January 26, 2007, 10:23 pm

The whole question of "removing racial differences by basing every interaction with someone on the colour of their skin so you don't offend them" is hillarious.

For example, a friend of a friend of mine is *the* whitest man you will ever see that isn't an albino. Given that, I had no compulsion giving him shit about it by way of greeting, like "Holy shit, you're so white. Are you undead?"

Now, if this bloke was blackest of the black and I opened up with "Holy shit you're the blackest man I've ever seen", somehow that would probably be worthy of getting beaten and I'd have deserved every bit of it according to the Tolerance Brigade.

Treat people equally? Fuck you, I don't need the beatings.

Tristinn · Post by **Tristinn** » January 27, 2007, 10:59 pm

Yeah seriously, what could possibly be wrong about the whole situation. I mean.. it could be because of the whole Slavery thing.. and um, the whole not getting proper Civil Rights until the 60's. Thats right, only bout 40sh years. Gosh what else... the opression of your entire race in America has got to be up there.. well.. im not going to boooore you all anymore I suppose.

Geez, those silly black people. What could possibly be wrong.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » January 27, 2007, 11:10 pm

The fact it's retarded doesn't actually negate the fact it appears to have been a private party where anyone's outside opinion is absolutely fucking worthless.

If it was a company/university sponsored shindig it's a different matter, but it doesn't look like it from this. I don't care enough to actually go and research it better

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » January 28, 2007, 12:10 pm

THE FIRST VOLLEY IN THE 2007 WAR ON CHRISTMAS!!

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 28, 2007, 3:53 pm

oh god not the secularists

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » January 28, 2007, 5:32 pm

The fact it's retarded doesn't actually negate the fact it appears to have been a private party where anyone's outside opinion is absolutely fucking worthless.

That's a bunch of crap. There are two distinct ways in which outside opinions can have value:

1. The fact that we (the royal we) don't want to interfere with anyone's right to act like an asshole doesn't mean we can't alter our behavior around people who have proven to be assholes. By choosing to form positive sorts of interrelationships with people who are not assholes and ostracizing people who are assholes, social pressure can operate to reduce the amount of douchebaggery in the world. In this situation, even though most people who consume this news story will never be in a position to form any sort of social relationship with the participants in the party, the existence of social disapproval, as manifested through media coverage, can act to inform people that they will be disapproved of if they engage in similar behavior.
2. The school they attend, as an institution which accepts students at its discretion, has the right to take concrete action regarding the relationship of the students to the institution. Thus, the opinions of those connected with the institution are directly relevant, and the opinions of everyone else are relevant insofar as they influence the institution's feelings regarding what would constitute appropriate action.

Drasta · Post by **Drasta** » January 28, 2007, 9:19 pm

god people need to get over themselves, i don't see the big woohaaa about this party .. hell i woulda went as a flamer!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » January 28, 2007, 11:54 pm

Actually Sueven, you're wrong.

If people cried on the internet everytime a racist party was held or a racist remark was made we'd have no time for doing nothing else like mocking Midnyte or Funk.

It's no big deal what some fucking morons do in the privacy of their own home, no matter how idealistic and high and mighty you wish to sound.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 29, 2007, 3:36 am

most institutes of higher learning demand a certain level of behaviour from their students on and off the campus.