Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Blatantly Racist

This is a story out of Baltimore MD. where a frat themed their Halloween party "Halloween In the Hood", you can read on but continuing on they called Baltimore an "HIV pit" and encouraged people to come dressed in "bling bling..." They even had the nerve to put a dark-skinned pirate hanging out front of the house in a noose.


The article:

BALTIMORE, Md. -- A John's Hopkins University fraternity has been barred from holding any more functions on campus after a controversial Halloween party was held this weekend.
JHU suspended all activities at the Sigma Chi fraternity during an investigation into the house's conduct last Saturday.
Angry students labeled that fraternity racist as they protested for hours along Charles Street in Baltimore Monday.
The protests were in reaction to an e-mail invitation to the fraternity house Saturday night. It referenced the party's theme: Halloween in the hood.
The e-mail called Baltimore an "HIV pit" and encouraged people to come dressed in "bling bling, ice ice."
The fraternity also had a dark-haired, stuffed pirate hanging from a noose out front of the house.
"I was appalled," said Christina Chapman, president of the Black Student Union.
"It's just very racist. There's no way you can be productive on this campus and come together as students and do things like this that they know are offensive and that they know are historically hurtful, considering black people were historically lynched in this country," Chapman said.
While the students protested, the university launched an investigation.
The fraternity declined to comment to WBAL TV 11 News.
"This should not be happening in a university community. There ought not to be an appeal to racial stereotypes as part of a party or advertisement for a party. It just shouldn't happen," said Dennis O'Shea, a spokesman for the university.
"Two of the students also went inside. There were students who said they were dressed in hood attire and slave attire. There was someone in a wife beater and overalls and barefoot with a straw hat impersonating a slave," Chapman said.
"The fact that this happened is a real shame. I hope that it won't overshadow the efforts of the kids who are really trying to reach out to each other around here," O'Shea said.


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