Is this party wrong?(MLK)

miller8966 · January 2007

By JEFF CARLTON

DALLAS (AP) - Authorities at Tarleton State University said they plan to investigate a Martin Luther King Jr. Day party that mocked black stereotypes by featuring fried chicken, malt liquor and faux gang apparel.

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

Photographs posted on social networking Web site Facebook.com showed partygoers wearing Afro wigs and fake gold and silver teeth. One photo showed students "mocking how African-Americans do step shows," Elder said. In another picture, a student is dressed as Aunt Jemima and carries a gun.

"That upsets me," Elder said. "That's someone who knows nothing about Dr. King, because Dr. King was totally about nonviolence."

Wanda Mercer, the school's vice president of student life, said an investigation was planned into the Jan. 15 party.

More than 400 students attended a university-sponsored forum Wednesday night that Elder described as "a shaky baby step" in bridging a divide between black and white students on the campus, which had about 400 black students out of 7,800 overall last semester.

Elder said 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.

Some of the students shown in the photos apologized, Elder said.

University President Dennis P. McCabe said the photographs were reprehensible.

"I am personally insulted by these photographs and am disappointed that Tarleton students have demonstrated such insensitivity," he said.

Stephenville is about 60 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

farfromglorified · January 2007

Meh.....

Collin · January 2007

miller8966 wrote:

By JEFF CARLTON

DALLAS (AP) - Authorities at Tarleton State University said they plan to investigate a Martin Luther King Jr. Day party that mocked black stereotypes by featuring fried chicken, malt liquor and faux gang apparel.

Plan to investigate and do what exactly?

mammasan · January 2007

I think it's pretty tasteless to say the least but people are within their rights to have such a party. The school can carry out disicplinary action simply because every school has a a code of conduct that the students have to adhere to . I'm pretty sure such a party would be in violation of that code.

miller8966 · January 2007

Collin wrote:

Plan to investigate and do what exactly?

umm prosecute

mammasan · January 2007

miller8966 wrote:

umm prosecute

That would be stupid. They didn't break any laws. If the school wants to carry out some dicisplinary action then fine, but not legal action.

even flow? · January 2007

Yeah the problem with sterotypes and the underlining truth that comes with them. I better make sure the next time I go to KFC that there is no black people around to think I am mocking them. Get over it all ready. Everybody mocks other people every once in a while. Whether it is for driving, walking, and accent, gold teeth :rolleyes:, whatever it may be.

Should I be pissed off at the youth of today thinking that they are tough guys for trying to be what they see in rap videos?

I wonder if the Romans are pissed off at toga parties?

B nice · January 2007

"somebody hit me in my chest
i opened my eyes and said
Dr. King!!!!
and then he said
OOps i thought you were someone else"

JamMastaE · January 2007

even flow? wrote:

Yeah the problem with sterotypes and the underlining truth that comes with them. I better make sure the next time I go to KFC that there is no black people around to think I am mocking them. Get over it all ready. Everybody mocks other people every once in a while. Whether it is for driving, walking, and accent, gold teeth :rolleyes:, whatever it may be.

Should I be pissed off at the youth of today thinking that they are tough guys for trying to be what they see in rap videos?

I wonder if the Romans are pissed off at toga parties?

there is a difference between emulating and mocking,romans wore togas dumb-ass,it's not a racially motivated stereo type.how about we have a Canada day,we will eat frogs legs,drink Pabst blue,watch hockey and pretend our I.Q.s are 60.

chopitdown · January 2007

miller8966 wrote:

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

that Elder guy must be a rocket scientist...how did he ever sense a racial divide?

chopitdown · January 2007

JamMastaE wrote:

there is a difference between emulating and mocking,romans wore togas dumb-ass,it's not a racially motivated stereo type.how about we have a Canada day,we will eat frogs legs,drink Pabst blue,watch hockey and pretend our I.Q.s are 60.

you forgot maple syrup...if you're going to stereotype at least include maple syrup. and it's LaBatt's blue

blackredyellow · January 2007

Yes, the party is in bad taste, and ignorant in regards to MLK... that being said, nothing should be done about it. The people at the party seem to have gotten some flack about it, and they should, it was stupid.

JamMastaE · January 2007

i agree,no legal action.the school does have the obligation to take some action.

JamMastaE · January 2007

chopitdown wrote:

you forgot maple syrup...if you're going to stereotype at least include maple syrup. and it's LaBatt's blue

damn..you got me.

even flow? · January 2007

chopitdown wrote:

you forgot maple syrup...if you're going to stereotype at least include maple syrup. and it's LaBatt's blue

Thanks for dropping that dudes iq for me.

even flow? · January 2007

JamMastaE wrote:

there is a difference between emulating and mocking,romans wore togas dumb-ass,it's not a racially motivated stereo type.how about we have a Canada day,we will eat frogs legs,drink Pabst blue,watch hockey and pretend our I.Q.s are 60.

Wow you are getting hip with it. Strange all the rap I used to listen to had the repetitive lines of chicken and the greens they eat. As a white boy I should stay away from that, eh. They have afros, eat chicken, etc.

Not unlike the mocking, copying of the Romans with togas. Sorry dude, PC only flies so far with me.

ledvedderman · January 2007

Very tasteless, but no law was broken. I think the university should take care of this one. Talk about a horrible idea though.

chopitdown · January 2007

even flow? wrote:

Thanks for dropping that dudes iq for me.

no prob - anything i can do to help oot

Uncle Leo · January 2007

blackredyellow wrote:

Yes, the party is in bad taste, and ignorant in regards to MLK... that being said, nothing should be done about it. The people at the party seem to have gotten some flack about it, and they should, it was stupid.

This is pretty much how I feel. There may be a need of some diologue on the topic of race at this school (and everywhere else), but what can or should you do to partygoers for this? Some were racists and some were just caught up in the moment and did not really give it enough thought. Either way, I don't really see what could come of an "investigation." The student paper editorials should just give them some shit and perhaps even call out the key orgianizers of the stupidity (if there are any) by name and be done with it.

chopitdown · January 2007

I think the party was dumb to have but at the same time there are theme parties / costumes all the time. What if a group of black guys dress up as fraternity boys to mock them? Would the same outcry have occured?

JamMastaE · January 2007

even flow? wrote:

Wow you are getting hip with it. Strange all the rap I used to listen to had the repetitive lines of chicken and the greens they eat. As a white boy I should stay away from that, eh. They have afros, eat chicken, etc.

Not unlike the mocking, copying of the Romans with togas. Sorry dude, PC only flies so far with me.

it's not about PC,it's about co-existence through peace and respect.maybe you need to be taught some.

Is this party wrong?(MLK)

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