PiKA Costume party - black face - bye-bye

[James]

Actually it wouldn't phase me. But I am not generally considered especially sensitive to such stuff.

Compton is misunderstood because it seems that every time that blacks are portrayed on screen, good or bad, they had to come from Compton.

I have seen movies, Two Can Play that Game, where that fact was completely irrelevant and they still put that in there.

Originally posted by LatinaAlumna

Edited to add: And please don't say ""Straight Outta Compton' is just a party theme! Relax!" because I bet some of you wouldn't think it was funny if someone else had a "Straight Outta (fill in the blank where you live)" and came dressed as "stereotypical" people from your town.

[starang21]

Originally posted by James
Actually it wouldn't phase me. But I am not generally considered especially sensitive to such stuff.

Compton is misunderstood because it seems that every time that blacks are portrayed on screen, good or bad, they had to come from Compton.

I have seen movies, Two Can Play that Game, where that fact was completely irrelevant and they still put that in there.

vivica fox stating that she's from compton in order to show how far she's come in the corporate world has NOTHING to do with a party in which patrons are expected to come in "urban clothing" in order to create parody.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by James
Actually it wouldn't phase me. But I am not generally considered especially sensitive to such stuff.

Compton is misunderstood because it seems that every time that blacks are portrayed on screen, good or bad, they had to come from Compton.

I have seen movies, Two Can Play that Game, where that fact was completely irrelevant and they still put that in there.

Starang21, you are so right! Plus, James, you are talking about the media - the number one perpetuator of false (and generally negative) images and ideas about those who are "minorities" in the United States. Think about this...who do you see most on t.v. and movies? "White" people? I should say so! But, are "White" people the world's majority? I think not!!! What does that say about the media?

[decadence]

Originally posted by preciousjeni:
Plus, James, you are talking about the media - the number one perpetuator of false (and generally negative) images and ideas about those who are "minorities" in the United States. Think about this...who do you see most on t.v. and movies? "White" people? I should say so! But, are "White" people the world's majority? I think not!!! What does that say about the media?

The media always has an angle, a bias. It ostensibly reflects its publics tastes and obviously in fact the ideologies of those behind it. But it seems when you talk about the media you mean the media you see - i.e. in the USA - and not the entire world, where those who are "minorities" are a (sizeable) 'minority' in that country. There's no question which skintones you see most on TV I agree but are separate networks like BET exacerbating the problem - we all know what a good idea 'separate but equal' wasnt? Does mainstream media provide a less balanced and societally reflective set of images because it's unfortunately believed "Oh BET (or whatever) already takes care of it?". We saw groundbreaking actors like twice Oscar winner Sidney Poitier in Hollywood mainstream films which was then almost unheard of; it paved the way for actors across the cultural-ethnic color divide. Do media outlets such as BET etc take us a step back and contribute to the 'mainstream' networks faults?

[starang21]

Originally posted by decadence
The media always has an angle, a bias. It ostensibly reflects its publics tastes and obviously in fact the ideologies of those behind it. But it seems when you talk about the media you mean the media you see - i.e. in the USA - and not the entire world, where those who are "minorities" are a (sizeable) 'minority' in that country. There's no question which skintones you see most on TV I agree but are separate networks like BET exacerbating the problem - we all know what a good idea 'separate but equal' wasnt? Does mainstream media provide a less balanced and societally reflective set of images because it's unfortunately believed "Oh BET (or whatever) already takes care of it?". We saw groundbreaking actors like twice Oscar winner Sidney Poitier in Hollywood mainstream films which was then almost unheard of; it paved the way for actors across the cultural-ethnic color divide. Do media outlets such as BET etc take us a step back and contribute to the 'mainstream' networks faults?

either way, does this have anything to with the issue at hand? and no, BET does not take care of it...and yes, the mainstream media is SEVERELY unbalanced and unreflective of the american demographic. but as it is, this has nothing to do with the bigotry of these pikes.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by starang21
either way, does this have anything to with the issue at hand? and no, BET does not take care of it...and yes, the mainstream media is SEVERELY unbalanced and unreflective of the american demographic. but as it is, this has nothing to do with the bigotry of these pikes.

I beg to differ. I believe that when you are living as a white person with white privilege, you really never have to be fully exposed to the pain of the minority population - or perhaps, you can just ignore it because you don't see it everyday. Starang21, if these men had really understood what blackface represents, perhaps they would have thought better of their actions. But they have no reason to do any research!

"Come listen all you galls and boys,
I'm going to sing a little song,
My name is Jim Crow.
Weel about and turn about and do jis so,
Eb'ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow."

These words are from the song, "Jim Crow," as it appeared in sheet music written by Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice. Rice, a struggling "actor" (he did short solo skits between play scenes) at the Park Theater in New York, happened upon a Black person singing the above song...it is clear that in 1828 Rice appeared on stage as "Jim Crow" -- an exaggerated, highly stereotypical Black character...Rice, a White man, was one of the first performers to wear blackface makeup -- his skin was darkened with burnt cork. His Jim Crow song-and-dance routine was an astounding success that took him from Louisville to Cincinnati to Pittsburg to Philadelphia and finally to New York in 1832. He then performed to great acclaim in London and Dublin. By then "Jim Crow" was a stock character in minstrel shows, along with counterparts Jim Dandy and Zip Coon. Rice's subsequent blackface characters were Sambos, Coons, and Dandies. White audiences were receptive to the portrayals of Blacks as singing, dancing, grinning fools.

By 1838, the term "Jim Crow" was being used as a collective racial epithet for Blacks, not as offensive as nigger, but as offensive as coon or darkie. Obviously, the popularity of minstrel shows aided the spread of Jim Crow as a racial slur. This use of the term did not last past a half century. By the end of the 19th Century, the words Jim Crow were less likely to be used to derisively describe Blacks; instead, the phrase Jim Crow was being used to describe laws and customs which oppressed Blacks.

The minstrel show was one of the first native forms of American entertainment, and Rice was rightly regarded as the "Father of American minstrelsy"...Rice, and his imitators, by their stereotypical depictions of Blacks, helped to popularize the belief that Blacks were lazy, stupid, inherently less human, and unworthy of integration. During the years that Blacks were being victimized by lynch mobs, they were also victimized by the racist caricatures propagated through novels, sheet music, theatrical plays, and minstrel shows. Ironically, years later when Blacks replaced White minstrels, the Blacks also "blackened" their faces, thereby pretending to be Whites pretending to be Blacks. They, too, performed the Coon Shows which dehumanized Blacks and helped establish the desirability of racial segregation.
Source

[starang21]

Originally posted by preciousjeni
I beg to differ. I believe that when you are living as a white person with white privilege, you really never have to be fully exposed to the pain of the minority population - or perhaps, you can just ignore it because you don't see it everyday. Starang21, if these men had really understood what blackface represents, perhaps they would have thought better of their actions. But they have no reason to do any research!

what are you disagreeing about? i agree on all points so what are you talking about?

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by starang21
but as it is, this has nothing to do with the bigotry of these pikes.

I was explaining why the media does have an effect and supports the bigotry.

[starang21]

Originally posted by preciousjeni
I was explaining why the media does have an effect and supports the bigotry.

well i completely agree with that, but his point about BET being a separate entity of television media has nothing to do with THIS bigotry.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by starang21
well i completely agree with that, but his point about BET being a separate entity of television media has nothing to do with THIS bigotry.

AH! Then we are certainly in agreement!!

[decadence]

Originally posted starang21: by either way, does this have anything to with the issue at hand?

Hence my post subject - "Slightly off topic... but it's an interesting debate"; the post replied to preciousjeni's and did comment on some things she'd brought up or things that struck me after reading what she brought up. I fully accept there was some thread (topic) drift from original issues.

Originally posted starang21: and no, BET does not take care of it...and yes, the mainstream media is SEVERELY unbalanced and unreflective of the american demographic. but as it is, this has nothing to do with the bigotry of these pikes.

Yes.

Originally posted preciousjeni quoting starang21: well i completely agree with that, but his point about BET being a separate entity of television media has nothing to do with THIS bigotry. AH! Then we are certainly in agreement!!

Yes. All three of us.
I think the poor representation in the media issues brought up which preciousjeni I think saw what I was trying to say are issues for another thread.

End thread drift!

[preciousjeni]

I was looking for the articles on a case that happened at UGA while I was in school. I'm really not trying to bring any more bother to Pikes, but this one really disturbed me. Perhaps it would really benefit Pi Kappa Alpha to overhaul their Risk Management directives and begin adjusting their reputation!!

First Article:
Pi Kappa Alphas investigated in physical assault case

Article with statement by chapter president:
Harris enters not guilty plea

Resolution:
News Notebook

[Firehouse]

Sounds like the fraternity was pretty stand-up about the whole thing. University said they were fully cooperative, and the chapter itself was not involved.

[azdtaxi]

This happened at Ole Miss about two years ago. One of the frats was having a halloween party at their house and one guy had painted his face black and another dressed as a sheriff had a gun to his head. The pics should up online thanks to party pics and the newspaper figured it out and the two ivolved were kicked out of the frat and the frat got kicked off campus for a year.

Thats a lot of run on sentences.

[lovelyzeta1920]

I attend Georgia State University, where this incident occurred, and I thought that you all would like to see the e-mail the university president sent out...

TO: Georgia State University Faculty, Staff and Students

FROM: President Carl Patton

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity has been charged with several violations of the student code of conduct, including, but not limited to, engaging in racially harassing conduct.

Discussions between the fraternity and members of the Dean of Students' staff and representatives of several African American organizations have not indicated a willingness on the part of the fraternity to accept appropriate responsibility for its actions. Furthermore, recent communication from the national office of Pi Kappa Alpha has indicated they are not willing to address the situation in any meaningful way.

Therefore, I am suspending the fraternity from Georgia State University until the charges against it can be heard by the University Senate Committee on Student Discipline and appropriate action taken.

During this suspension, I hope that the leadership of the fraternity will explore with other groups on campus ways in which to prevent future occurrences of racially offensive conduct.

To the Pikes in here, I realize that the organization as a whole is not racist, but something needs to be done to change these behaviors. I feel for you all because I know some of the Pikes at Georgia State, and they're good guys. But many of them that came to the campus discussion we had walked out and never came back...