'Gangsta Parties' Spark Outrage
After shameful ‘gangsta’-themed parties at colleges in Connecticut, Texas, Maryland and most recently South Carolina, where a student was photographed in blackface and another added padding to her rear-end, school officials and offended students voice concerns over dangerous forms of racial stereotyping.
Resources:
Talk It Out
Why do you think college students feel so comfortable wearing black face and employing stereotypes about black people? Do you believe the popularity of hip-hop is a reason? Why?
Can you identify the similarities and differences between the incidents at each school?
How do you think black students feel when confronted with these images online? How do you feel?
Do you think the students’ apologies are sincere? Why?
In your opinion, which school will be most successful at raising awareness and racial sensitivity? Which will be the least successful? Why?
What can you do to bring tolerance and racial understanding to your campus?
Study Finds Black Youth Ambivalent on Society
The Black Youth Project, sponsored by the University of Chicago, released a study tracking the attitudes of 1,600 youth between the ages of 15 and 25. It is one of the most comprehensive studies to focus solely on black youth, though youth of all ages participated. Among the study’s sad findings: black youth feel alienated and pessimistic about their place in society and suspect that newly-arrived immigrants receive better treatment.
Resources:
Talk It Out
Why is it important for researchers to talk to young people? How are their views different?
According to the study, what are the chief concerns among black youth? Why do you think they are pessimistic?
Do any of the survey’s findings surprise you?
A University of Chicago professor says that the attitudes reflect “the same themes that troubled people for a long time.” What are some ideas that black youth may have in common with previous generations?
What do you think it feels like to be “blocked from the process”?
What can policy-makers do to help change the attitudes of black youth? If you held a position of power and could change policies, how would you react to this study?
Biden's Blunder
In the same week he announces his bid for the U.S. presidency, a Senator offends when he describes Barack Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." The words “articulate” and “clean” triggered many African Americans to call for an apology.
Resources:
Talk It Out
Why are Biden’s comments “cringe-worthy”? Why do you think African Americans would be offended by the words "articulate" and "clean"? What stereotypes of black people do they evoke?
Besides apologizing, what else can Biden do to show his sincerity?
How did Barack Obama respond to Biden’s comments? Do you agree with how he handled it?
What does Yvonne Gates mean when she says, “his comments may have been directed toward Obama, but in reality they were directed at all African-Americans”? Do you agree? Why?
What do you do when you hear a racially insensitive remark? Have you ever made a comment you wish you could take back? How did you handle it?
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