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A few months into writing for Blogher, I wrote that all I seemed to do was write about doom and gloom. A commenter suggested that I only write about ‘good things.’ The problem is – well it’s not really a problem, per se, is that people keep on doing and saying stupid things and I am compelled to report on them.
Why you might ask? After all, I could be writing about the humanitarianism work that is happening around the world; I could be writing about the Southern Poverty Law Center and all the incredible initiatives they have been doing to fight intolerance and educating people about race relations and acceptance of people based on their cultural, sexual and social differences from the ‘norm’ – whatever that is. But I think that there is an uncomfortably large portion of the population that needs to be aware of what is going on in this world, the ugly, ignorant aspects of how we treat each other needs to be brought to the forefront so we can discuss and perhaps educate each other and dammit, I am the one to do it! (that was a joke, seriously….) I fear, though, that despite this website and other excellent blogs that I have linked to on this site that the message isn’t getting through.
Fair enough, people are going to be drawn to issues that they have an interest in. People usually do not want to be called out on their ignorance, and don’t like to be told that they need to be educated. So what happens is, such as the recent pictures of faculty members at Riverdale Christian Academy decided, despite the numerous minstrel-themed parties at other colleges and the bad press that followed them, to have a “Southern Plantation During the Civil War†– themed party. Sounds innocent enough, right? Well students and Faculty members – grown-ass adults who should have known better - decided to dress up like slaves and host contests like “Catch the runaway slave.†From the Fresnobee.com and Racialicious:
The photos, which were posted on the Internet shortly after the June 1 event, show staff and faculty of the small private Christian school dressed as slaves with captions describing activities at the party in Hanford.
"The slaves served lemonade -- it was a riot," read one caption beneath a photo of five women and a man at a lemonade stand. Each had dark face makeup and wore 19th century clothing.
"Someday we gonna be leavin' when a workin' day is done," read another caption posted with a photo of three women holding gardening tools.
A third picture showed a white man in a Yankees jersey and top hat escorting another in blackface with the caption, "bringing home the runaway slave in the Senior skit."
Doug Spencer, principal of the school and associate pastor of Riverdale Assembly of God, said the skits were meant to poke fun at graduating seniors, and not to offend anyone.
So my point is, what the hell is wrong with you people? Do you read a newspaper? Surf the Internet? Are you totally oblivious that even if the thought of throwing an event that satirizes slavery and/or promotes the negative stereotyping ethnic and cultural communities you are going to answer for it? Thanks to the Internet, no bad deed will go unpunished. Right Paris?
While I question the power of the voice of the disenfranchised, as even though people of colour complain vehemently about these parties (usually thrown by privileged white people who not don’t care about how it might affect others and are in total denial about how their actions reflect on the greater society) still throw them, even though the pictures of these parties eventually land on Facebook or some other social networking site. The denial to the parties is sadly and ironically hilarious. “That’s not racist! You’re being racist for calling us racist! We’re just having fun!†On someone else’s dime, that is. And if that is your idea of ‘fun’ I’d hate to see what you do to pass time. Burn crosses? Well, soon your idea of fun is going to change.
So despite the occasional troll and comments from people who is not particularly well-versed in proper diction, I’ll continue doing what I’m doing, because these stories will continue to happen, and with each racially-themed party report, there has to be one to counter their nonsense. Hat tip to Carmen, Rachel and Resist Racism.
