EDITORIAL – Students party a disgrace to MLK

Members of Tarleston State University’s NAACP chapter were outraged last week when they… Members of Tarleston State University’s NAACP chapter were outraged last week when they discovered pictures from a Martin Luther King Jr. Day party held at the residence of a student that mocked stereotypes held about black people.

The pictures, which were posted on Facebook.com several days after the party, showed students from Tarleston, which is located about 60 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Texas, eating fried chicken and drinking malt liquor, among other activities, while dressed in faux gang apparel, according to the Associated Press. In one picture, a student is dressed as Aunt Jemima and carrying a gun.

Pause to imagine Martin Luther King Jr. turning over in his grave.

To say that the party was blatantly racist, a slap in the face of Martin Luther King Jr. and the entire black community would be an understatement.

Stereotyping a culture or racial group is wrong. Perpetuating that stereotype is worse. But perpetuating that stereotype on the national holiday intended to promote equality defines a new kind of low.

It’s obvious that the festivities weren’t some extreme misunderstanding of the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The students who attended the event undoubtedly found the idea of playing out black stereotypes – on a day that was supposed to be about promoting equality, particularly for black people – humorous: a clear indication that they know what the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is.

But, unfortunately, just because they know what the holiday stands for, doesn’t mean they believe in it, or even understand it. What these students don’t understand is that the fruit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work benefits all U.S. citizens, not just black ones. The civil rights that King preached paved the way for legislation promoting gender and economic equality.

Tarleston administrators are currently investigating the incident, which was held at the residence of a member of the school’s Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, but they have not yet taken any disciplinary actions against the students or the fraternity.

Whether or not Tarleston officials choose to respond, it is clear that the students involved have a lot of learning to do.

Aside from getting a degree and going to a lot of themed parties, getting a college education is supposed to be about enlightenment. No matter whether one attends a racially and culturally diverse institution or one with a nearly homogenous student body, we should be constantly learning from and respecting each other’s cultures and beliefs.

While we are not familiar with Tarleston’s current diversity promotion programs, the party, which was attended by members of several campus organizations, shows a need for a stronger campus-wide emphasis on cultural and racial awareness.

It’s sad that incidents such as this remind us that racism still exists in our country. But we hope the Tarleston students’ horrible variation on a themed party will raise awareness for the future.