Blackface Parties Anger Many

Recently a disturbing trend has been occurring on several predominately white college campuses. White students from Clemson University, Johns Hopkins University, Tarleton University and the University of Connecticut gained media attention when photos of racially themed parties surfaced on the Internet. 

These racially-themed parties, or “blackface parties,” entail white students and a few blacks gathering to perpetuate black stereotypes.

The pictures, which can be found on various Facebook groups, depict white students wearing baggy clothing, smoking Black and Milds and wearing athletic gear in an attempt to look black.
 
Other pictures show students with bottles of 40 ounce malt liquor taped to their hands, girls with stuffed backsides throwing up various gang signs and students with black paint on their faces wearing Afros. When the general public saw the pictures online, racial tensions quickly began to surface.

Sociology professor Jennifer Goode says there is no doubt that these parties were racist.

“Any time a group of people uses negative stereotypes, racism is involved. These incidents cannot be said to be harmless fun,” Goode said. “The blackface is not something positive in black culture. It has a long history of racism,” she said.

Freshman political science major RaShanda Chambers said, “I think that the parties were racist regardless of the race of the person hosting it.” 

 She added, “If the tables were flipped and it was a white-face party, it would have still been wrong. I also don’t believe that those who hosted and attended the parties are racist themselves. I saw the movie ‘White Chicks.’ To me that movie was very stereotypical of white women, but I don’t think that movie was made to offend them. When it comes to issues of race, our generation tends to do things without thinking of the repercussions.”

Students at Clemson University, the site of one of the most public blackface parties, were in the middle of the controversy.

Sam Camberato, a white student at Clemson, offered his opinion on the issue. “I did not attend the party but I believe that it was held in fun,” he said. “Although the stereotypes might have been in bad taste, I think the party was held in a manner to be fun for the students and not disrespectful to anyone.”

Students at several HBCUs across the nation have reacted to seeing these pictures with emotions ranging from rage to sadness.

Jaleisa Turner, a freshman biology major at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., said, “I believe that these parties were racist, but we should take a step back and realize that we bring some of these stereotypes on ourselves,” she said. “When a majority of our race portray ourselves in this manner, others cannot help but view us in that light. Yes they took it too far, but we gave them that inch that grew into a mile.”

Hampton University junior Latoya Hicks looked at the situation from a different perspective.

“Although I see these parties as offensive to African Americans, I also see it as Caucasians wanting to be a part of our beautiful culture,” Hicks said.

“Gold, fronts, braids, weave and large bottoms are all a part of African-American culture. Obviously these individuals wanted to be a part of this,” she said.

Shawntelle Johnson, a black student who is a junior at Clemson University, had a different opinion.

“Ignorance was displayed at those parties,” Johnson said. “Yes in hip-hop music we have things like big chains, grills and provocative girls, and we need to show people that this is not what being an African American is all about. But it gets offensive when individuals start painting themselves black.”