Wow...not very often does a story like this pop up concerning my alma mater!

This story caught my eye because it's where I received by Journalism Degree.  I attended the school from 1981-1986, played football and did track when it was still Whitworth College.

Now this week, the NCAA Division III school has suspended five female soccer players after an Instagram photo surfaced from an event showing the girls dressed and made up with 'blackface makeup' and black afro wigs. The suspension is for one game. The photo and promotion were not a sanctioned part of the soccer program, or endorsed by the school.

The picture, which ended up being posted on University President Beck A. Taylor's Facebook page by people offended by it, shows the five players with black afro wigs, and was accompanied by the hashtag "Oh baby, give me one more chance. #Jackson5 #thisiswhitworthsoccer."   An obvious Michael Jackson reference.

However, their humor has not been met very well by some in the Spokane community.

School officials said they understand how such an image could be offensive or hurtful to a "variety of races."  They said it goes beyond students dressing in blackface. School officials said it showed a lack of awareness over our nation's "history of oppression."  That according to Dr. Lawrence Burnley, the schools Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

School officials promised to "take action" over the incident.  Although nobody endorses being insensitive, I find the reaction very interesting by the school. Probably the students should have thought it through a little more. One can understand their thinking about using Michael Jackson and the idea to unofficially support their soccer team, but probably should have avoided it due to the hubub it would cause from those who miss the point.  Yes, perhaps misjudgement on the part of some young college girls, but no malice intended. But in our hyper-sensitive society, they will probably be roasted for this.

Whitworth has changed much since I graduated in 1986.  Given the stunts that we pulled, most of which cannot be reprinted here, I doubt they would even let me enroll there now...just sayin.   We didn't do anything racially insensitive, but let's just say I lived in a dorm that was like Animal House.   How the times have changed.

 

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