NAACP Probes MLK Party At Clemson

White Students Drank Malt Liquor, One Wore Blackface At Off-Campus Party

(CBS/AP)  Clemson University and the NAACP said Tuesday they are investigating an off-campus party held during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend that some considered offensive because white students drank malt liquor and at least one partygoer wore blackface.

Pictures from the party were posted online, and Clemson officials learned of the Jan. 14 party this past weekend. The school is probing whether students were harassed or whether there was underage drinking.

Earlier this month, Tarleton State University officials in Stephenville, Texas, investigated a similar party that featured fried chicken and fake gang apparel, and at the University of Connecticut School of Law, students who attended an off-campus "Bullets and Bubbly" party held fake machine guns and 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor.

Clemson President James Barker wrote in a letter to students and faculty that he was "appalled, angered and disappointed" by the party, which "appeared to mock and disparage African Americans."

"Many people have been offended and deeply hurt," he said.

The party organizers issued an unsigned letter of apology:

"We invited all races and types of peoples and never meant any racial harm," according to the letter, which was provided to The Associated Press by Gail DiSabatino, vice president for student affairs.

"We want everyone to know how sorry we are, and that we are willing to do anything to make things right," the letter said.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was looking into the party and at least three similar events at other colleges around the country, said state chapter president Lonnie Randolph.

Clemson has roughly 1,100 black students out of more than 17,000 undergraduates, the university's Web site says.

Randolph said the Clemson party wasn't "just harmless fun."

"We once lynched African-Americans as good fun and humor," Randolph said. "We also execute them at a real high rate for fun and humor. We also don't educate them or pay them like we pay others in the community and that's fun and humorous to a lot of people."

DiSabatino said members of Alpha Phi Alpha, a black fraternity, attended the large party but left.

Bobby Clark, faculty sponsor for the fraternity, didn't want to speak about the incident Tuesday and a message left for the fraternity's president was not immediately returned.

"The thing that made this worst is that they tried to say it's for Martin Luther King," said Jamison Simmons, a former president of the Omega Psi Phi undergraduate chapter. "On any other day, it still would have been bad but to use King Day as the purpose behind it — that's terrible."

Randolph said he was concerned about "our future leaders of South Carolina."

"These aren't a bunch of hicks in the backwoods somewhere," Randolph said.

[cantshutup]

THE DRAFT IS HERE. Universal Nat'l Service Act of 2007.
NOT TO ALARM YOU OR ANYTHING. Just passing this along.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
query/z?c110:H.R.393:

Universal National Service Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)
HR 393 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 393
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the favorable treatment afforded combat pay under the earned income tax credit, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 10, 2007

[attemptno4]

35 year old, educated, successful...oh and beautiful black women here...as such, am I alone in my thinking? There ARE racist people in this world, but looking at this group of people at this party as whole, I'm not about judge them as racist. They are just plain STUPID. Stupid for thinking they could have such a party (during celebration of MLK day, especially), posing for pics, and not expecting an uproar once made public. As a black person, I laugh at some of the very same stereotypes that were a main theme of the party. Am I racist? NO. Am I a "sell-out"? Hell, no. And, in my opinion, many people that have pubically expressed their anger, disappointment, disbelief, etc... over this event...particurly those that have been stopped and asked at random...they HAVE to say what they are saying...otherwise they are going to be condemned or deemed to be racist as well. (Shame on some of us.) As a whole, we need to lighten up (and don't some smart@ss take that comment and run with it). And in "we" I'm including the people that are defending these idiots' actions with silly analogies. That's only adding fuel to the ongoing fire. It's not helping.

[sowhatnowhuh]

So what do you call Pimp'n Ho parties? It's not a back-woods redneck theme (and I've been to both types).

There are real problems in the Black community and too bad that there hasn't been a good Black leader since Dr. King, ironically, to tell the difference.

Shame on CBS and media to use this to sell ads while fueling hate on both sides. And thought we had heard enough nonsensical news with the "Run-away bride" story.

[whitey781]

WOW!!! Imagine if on Columbus day all non whites wore white face and pretended to have mass genocides.

Maybe on George Washinton's BDay we can hold slavery reenactments and show how the great USofA treated fellow humanbeings.

Maybe we should celebrate Kennedy Assasination day!!!!

[legendary240]

and at least one partygoer wore blackface.

Well, my favorite character ever was Steve Urkel - remember him? I love to see his re-runs every chance I get! It is quite obvious that Steve Urkel's character was based on the comedic irony of a young black boy acting in every way as if he were a young white, nerd, spazz or geek. OOPS! Sorry to offend all the uncoordinated academically-inclined whiteys out there. I didn't hear the NAACP speak out about that. They should have been upset about glorifying the denying of a young black boy's ethnicity by "whitewashing" his manner of dress, pattern of speech and his musical tastes. Actually, it was just funny and these parties were meant to be also. I guarantee you there were all colors of people there having a good time and that's what we should all be doing. The NAACP should not even make a blip on anyone's radar - they are too biased in their positions and past remarks to be taken seriously.

[legendary240]

"These aren't a bunch of hicks in the backwoods somewhere," Randolph said. Dang - he gets to disparage us countrified whiteys all day long.

That would be like me saying "These aren't a bunch of picaninnys or hottentots up in the ghetto somewhere." Whitey said.

I'm offended that he used the term "hicks", I want a complete investigation.

[legendary240]

All we need now is for some black students to mock white people. Then we can see if those crying foul laugh. We can see if those who support the first amdment are true to thier cause.
Posted by cbscrash07 at 03:23 PM : Jan 31, 2007 I thought they already did that with that stupid "White Chicks"?? movie. It was funny, just stupid is all. I didn't get offended as a whitey.

[legendary240]

Will the NAACP investigate the toga parties to see if Greeks and Romans are mocked, or if they have a redneck party - does that mock lower class, southern whiteys? Do they investigate these hip-hop thug rappers who run down black bi+ches and ho3s and call each other ni88ahs? They are just too partial in their causes to be taken seriously or respected. They don't understand this, but they mock black people more than that Clemson party ever did.

[one_american]

Joe Biden sez (about Barak Obama):

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy...I mean, that's a storybook, man."

Joe Biden is a racist bigot if ever there was one.

[Syndicate]

All we need now is for some black students to mock white people. Then we can see if those crying foul laugh. We can see if those who support the first amdment are true to thier cause.

[bluestardad]

People make money by keeping Race in the forefront of the news. Would the Legislative Black Caucus have a job if everyone were called Americans that lived here? It is OK to remember a fault from time to time as to never let it happen again, but to make a living from dredging up past wrongs is a disservice to all those who actually endured the hardship.

[cathaleen]

I would think that there are many good party themes without using a racist one. If that was one of my sons I would have thought I raised a child with better values. I don't see anything funny about it. On the other hand, let's not make a big deal about it either, they're young and young people do crazy things. I think all people black and white have done things in their youth that they are ashamed of. Enough is enough.

[bigwhtpony]

Al Frankin says this is a plot hatched by Karl Rove to supress the votes of whites who act like blacks.....it's DOUBLE discrimination.

When is 'The Man' going to stop keeping us down????

[connapa]

Why doesn't the NAACP go after the "Gangsta" rappers who glorify just such an image in both "songs" and videos.

[bluestardad]

bigdarkie; Thank you great post, well spoken!

[luvny-2009]

SKYK can understand why you thought it was the South. I'm in the South now and it's WAY different than I've ever lived. People still fighting the Civil War, confederate flags on houses but not the American flag. Oh yeah they got it bad here. Talk about racist, amazing how far behind they are in some places. Someone forgot to tell them the war was over.

[drdilemma]

|and at the University of Connecticut School of Law, students who attended an off-campus "Bullets and Bubbly" party held fake machine guns and 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor.|

Um, I believe Connecticut is in the North East. This isn't just a souhern issue skyk. Grow up, or is it ok to be predjudiced towards southerners?

[naber1961]

The NAACP personnel is as bigoted and predjudiced as any one else. If the roles were reversed and it was colored people mocking whites NOTHING would be said. Black people can be racist as well as white people can, althouhg I had been told by lots of blacks that they cannot be racist,,,, and I have yet to get an answer to say why the cannot.

[skyk-2009]

Are these people in the South EVER going to grow up? The LAST thing we need in this nation right now is MORE hatred and Division... isn't having a true Hood and Sheet Creep in the White House enought?

[bigdarkie]

Also, this is directed at the NAACP: instead of wasting your time 'investigating' an off campus event you do not approve of. Go spend your time and money solving the problem of black violence in your ghettos. Your unemployed, impovershed people need your help. Take off your suits and your attitudes and go work on urban reconstruction, work on finding & training blacks for good jobs. Make your mentality one of achievement instead of despair and negativity. Go work on getting the 'ghetto rap' industry shut down. Take Jesse & Big 'Al' and have a million man march on Poverty, AIDS, Guns in the Ghetto. Help teach your young children that all have daddy the felon in prison to read. Do something constructive instead of being devisive. No one wants to be black these days and people around the world ridicule most of you because of your lack of help to your people. Get a life and quit whining over some kids that choose to exercise their right of free speech & expression. There are a lot of more important things to do than that and I've pointed out a few above. Good luck & God Speed.