Rachel's Tavern- Shakesville Comment on Whiteness and Racial Awareness
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Oct
15
More Blackface Parties
Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Blackface Parties, Race and Racism, Uncategorized by Rachel
Clearly you don’t have to be that bright to get into University of Texas at Austin’s law school. Here’s a quote:
But the photos in which partygoers carried 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and wore Afro wigs, necklaces with large medallions and name tags bearing traditionally black and Hispanic names upset some black law students, said Sophia Lecky, president of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society.
I just thought overall that it was kind of insensitive, that it was mocking a group of people or a class of people in just a real stereotypical or negative way, said Lecky, whose group aims to improve the academic and social climate for black UT law students.
Sager met with about 18 students who were at the party and said he is convinced they didnt think their actions would offend classmates. No disciplinary action was planned.
Here’s the full story. (Thanks to Racialicious for the heads up)
My initial though is that anybody born in the 70s or 80s should know better than this, but maybe that’s the problem.? Many younger folks have this sort of race doesn’t matter, racism is no big deal sort of mentality.? People old enough to remember segregation and civil rights may realize how damaging these stereotypes are (or they may at least be ready to acknowledge that racism is real.)
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19 Responses to “More Blackface Parties”
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How utterly insensitive and disgusting. I was born in ‘68 and I certainly know better. I think these folks are just arrogant and racist and really just don’t care. I’m a recent graduate of dental school and although we had no such occurrences (that I know of…..I wasn’t a big partier), there was quite a bit of racism on the part of the students.
Gahhhh! Hey, rachel, can you get rid of my last name above???????
Fixed.
Well I was born in ‘79, so I definately ain’t goin’ there with blackface.
I really at a loss about why this phenomenon has suddenly become more popular.
I hear that these “ghetto fabulous” parties are pretty popular these days
I think that much of the reason young whites feel they have a license to do this (in addition to what Rachel said above) is because many of them have black friends that have accepted this as well. I remember a few years ago a friend of mine and I were shocked to find that a group of white youth were using the ‘N-word’ as a term of endearment with each otheras some blacks have been known to do.
I have also seen white youth refer to their black friends as the ‘n-word’ (and vice versa) and there was no offense taken by the black youth whereas in my day (I was born in ‘73) there would have been a fight. When you ask them, they will tell you that “they are past all that”
On the malt liquor, I can’t help but be saddened that many blacks are actually such good customers of that stuff (see Chuck D’s “Liquor Man”
Now they are targeting the Latino community as well
This stuff is getting ridiculous…however, I think this is a response on the part of a youger white cohort - my age cohort and younger - who feel stifled by the “pc” culture as perceived by them. Their families have largely infected many of them with the virulent racist strains of the past but its symptoms have been dampened somewhat by the recent educational and social movements in the US. So instead of most of them going out and joining the white supremacist movement, they decide to parody what they believe is black (and latino) culture. Of course, this problematic belief has been exacerbated by the minstrelsy promoted by rap artists, reality tv shows, and comedians that, when criticized, is defended on the grounds of being vital to culture and identity. They are just taking us at our words and emulating us.
Ghetto fabulous parties (or the like) were popular XX years ago when I was in college. So their age doesn’t get them a pass. It’s even more disturbing that we will count on some of these people to act as public defenders for those who need fair and competent representation the most. Some of them will go on to clerk for federal and upper level appeals court justices and judges.
I suppose the most disturbing thing in the piece was that 70 out of 1300 students are African American.
only 70 . . . . oop
Rachel said: “Many younger folks have this sort of race doesnt matter, racism is no big deal sort of mentality. “
HOORAY!!!!!
Now if we can just get you middle aged children to get over it.
That’s ok. Let them have their fun. I get even with people of that type by putting on a suit, shirt and tie for work to make fun of those white guys.
No one ever gets it though.
LOL Sammy
>Rachel said: Many younger folks have this sort of race doesnt matter, racism is no big deal sort of mentality.
>HOORAY!!!!!
>Now if we can just get you middle aged children to get over it.
——-
I was born in ‘77. In the late 80s, it was popular for the boys in my grade school to be all “Yo Homie wassup?” with each other and then burst out laughing. It wasn’t embracing black slang, it was making fun of it. There were all of 4 African-American-descent students in the class of 60, and that was a better ratio than most of the school. The same kids putting on a “black-cent” only saw black people mowing their lawns and cleaning their bathrooms (it was that kind of school). And they sure as hell didn’t come from interracial families.
Just because these ignorant children think that race isn’t an issue, doesn’t mean that they’re not racist - in fact, they’re giving themselves a free pass to repeat others’ mistakes and insults under the cover of not meaning any harm.
Blackface and other coonery around Halloween (or really, any time) is like dressing up like a Nazi and thinking that because the Nazi party is defunct (not counting the Neos now), and WWII is over, it shouldn’t be offensive to anyone anymore.
[...] It seems that as of late, white people have been on the up and up when it comes to throwing ghetto parties. Perhaps this coincides with the birth of hipsterism, I’m not sure. In any event, these ghetto parties can lead to nothing but sore relationships between black Americans and white Americans who believe that dressing like black people is flattering, funny, entertaining, or harmless. For your own safety and the safety of those around you, please avoid painting yourself with shoe polish for kicks and giggles. That hurts black peoples’ feelings, and you wouldn’t want to do that. Would you? [...]
One also has to consider that is a world where it is very popular for blacks to celebrate stereotypcial ignorance and foolishness (thug life, bling, urban slang), white’s may just see themselves as getting in on some of the fun that they are not expected to understand. In some ways, it could be that they are celebrating the irony of white people having a good time in a manner than only blacks are known too. But I have no doubts that there is probably a condescending, racist tone to these celebrations as well.
J.Scott:
My issue is that most black people I know, family and otherwise, DON’T follow the MTV/BET gangsta-thug-bling-whatever model, they’re normal people with jobs and kids and such. Are there cultural aspects? Sure, as with any ethnic group, but their ethnicity is not defined by rap, Flava Flav, or BET. They may joke about it, but in a knowing way (i.e. hey, look at the minstrel show!); it’s not their model, nor should it be. It scares me that (white) people think that this is how blacks are.
Proves that we all need to sometimes get out more.
I’m an undergrad at the University of Texas and what bothers me more than just the party in itself is that the majority of the UT student body does not seem to have a problem with this ghetto party. They agree that it was “insensitive” and of “poor taste” but no one wants to acknowledge that the party was racist.
“Aggie President Denounces ‘Utterly Disgusting’ Video”
link:
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061108_mh_aggievideo.193949a0.html
[...] It seems that as of late, white people have been on the up and up when it comes to throwing ghetto parties. Perhaps this coincides with the birth of hipsterism, Im not sure. In any event, these ghetto parties can lead to nothing but sore relationships between black Americans and white Americans who believe that dressing like black people is flattering, funny, entertaining, or harmless. For your own safety and the safety of those around you, please avoid painting yourself with shoe polish for kicks and giggles. That hurts black peoples feelings, and you wouldnt want to do that. Would you? [...]