gotta love my alma mater :\

this that isht that always brings it back for me. Here is an e-bulletin from the president of the Society of Black Alumni. (I'll try to find something perhaps less biased and more "official" in other news blurbs so you guys don't just get my pissed off point of effin' view)

Dear fellow Johns Hopkins graduate:

Over the weekend, a very disturbing incident occurred on the Homewood campus. As president of the Johns Hopkins University Society of Black Alumni, I thought you should be aware of the situation, the facts as I understand them, and how the university is responding.

On Saturday, October 28, the Sigma Chi fraternity sponsored a party entitled "Halloween in the Hood," purportedly hosted by the late Johnnie L. Cochran. Decorations outside the fraternity house included a plastic skeleton dressed as a pirate hanging from a noose. Partygoers were asked to wear "regional clothing" from Baltimore, which was itself described as "the hood" or "the HIV pit." The "regional clothing" that was suggested included "copious amounts of so-called bling bling, ice ice, grill [sic], hoochie hoops, white Tee's and Air Force Onez."

Moreover, other language viewed as offensive by black undergraduate students was posted on the college social networking website Facebook.com. The invitation was ordered taken down by the university's Greek Life representative on Friday, only to reappear later with even more offensive language. After learning this on Saturday evening and discovering that the event had proceeded, the Greek Life office decided to shut the party down. Before the party was closed, several black students went to see firsthand what was going on and found it so offensive that many returned in tears.

On Sunday, October 29, there was a meeting of the Black Student Union to plan a course of action in response to the Sigma Chi event. On Monday morning, October 30, the black students began a protest in front of the Charles Street entrance to the university and in front of Garland Hall. It is my understanding that the protests are expanding, and that all students have been invited to wear blue ribbons evidencing support for the Black Student Union's protest.

In response to Sigma Chi's actions, the university immediately launched an investigation aimed at determining whether the fraternity and/or any of its members violated university policies. Pending the results of this investigation, the activities of Sigma Chi fraternity have been suspended. I am also informed that the national chapter of Sigma Chi has expelled at least one former member of the Johns Hopkins chapter in the wake of this incident.

On Monday, October 30, the university held an open forum for students and other members of the university community to allow discussion of these events. The black students used the forum to vent their overall frustrations with the Hopkins experience, with the consistent themes being:

1. The feeling of racial hostility on campus

2. A lack of student body diversity

3. The paucity of black faculty

President Brody initially issued a statement denouncing the actions of the fraternity, which you can read at: http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/home06/oct06/frat.html

Last night, President Brody issued a second statement in which he outlined a new set of Principles for Ensuring Equity, Civility and Respect for All at Johns Hopkins. You can read the statement at: http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/univ06/nov06/statement.html

The SOBA Executive Committee applauds the university's swift reaction to the incident.

wtf?!?! funny part is i JUST had a facilitated conversation last night in dance rehearsal about how prevalent racism still is and how there are rose-colored glasses wearin' folk are out there preachin' about how racism is on a decline. MY ASS! the company is developing new, race-related work. mind you, the company is very diverse. the task at hand was to speak to one another about our frustrations with race relations and the like in order to fuel the "hate" that portions of the piece will depict. provocative... i know... awkward... definitely! relevant and necessary... you bet your sweet hind parts. i can't wait to see how it pans out. the work that is. i already know how this hopkins shit will play out.

pssh.