Actually, on further thought, I revoke my statement that it would be okay for the SWE to use it, but for different reasons, namely that it is not very egalitarian to refer to a woman as a "bitch".

Sorry for the double-post, but I just got an e-mail from HQ saying it will be taken down ASAP. Goodbye, blackface Sir Fidel.

Are you implying that "Wizard of Oz" is a symbol of whiteness whereas "Notorious BIG" and "99 Problems" are symbols of Blackness? Should NPC orgs, and white people in general, therefore avoid these references?

I'm not buying that because it creates a nonsense, surface-level response to inequality which pretends that this is all about people feeling offended by ANY type of reference. "Just stay away from it altogether and there will be no problems." I call nonsense on that. There are clear images of white people mocking non-white cultures, including racial slurs, blackface, and "dressing Black for a day." Every reference to something that is one aspect of one component of nonwhiteness is not offensive regardless of intent and outcome.

Did you know that the Minerva one was in reference to an NPHC sorority? I am still searching for the racial and ethnic mockery there beyond the nonlicensed (probably white) third party vendor's motives.

So, now the issue is gender inequality and sorority life? *brain fart* I thought the issue was supposed to be mimicking and mocking Black folkseseseses. LOL.

We all have a voice! :)

No I did not know that Minerva was a reference to an NPHC sorority as it is also a reference for Kappa. And I only used that one because DeltaBetaBabay thought that the use of the word "homeboy" was offensive and I was wondering if using "homegirl" would also be offensive.

I just noticed that they are an official Greek Licensed company so I don't know if that means the shirts are approved or not.

That doesn't mean that designs are approved. It means that they have paid a licensing fee to use registered trademarks of participating GLOs.

On the seller's website, it is marketed as a "Kappa Kappa Gamma Minerva HoodieBuddie." I can see how the color could suggest Delta rather than Kappa, though.

There are some ugly shirts on that site.

"It truly amazes me when people feel the need to publically critique organizations to which they do not belong."

"If you can't say something nice..."

Some of you are being so "small-minded."

*breathes a sigh of relief*

Thank you, Black baby Jesus. :D

Ignore my Delta and Minerva rant. :D

Shut up.

Nope, I just said that it doesn't sit well with me, and I wouldn't wear such a shirt if one were made for my group. Others are free to do whatever they want, and to feel however they want about the issue.

To offer another analogy, it feels to me a little like having a bachelorette party in a gay bar. There are still parts of the country where black women are largely unwelcome in NPC groups.

:rolleyes:

Since you quoted me, I'll point out that my quote was in response to your "amazement" that a specific sorority had not made membership a requirement or preference in its search for an executive director. You were criticizing the internal hiring decisions of a sorority other than your own.

And I'm sure you'll recall that the "if you can't say anything nice" quote came in response your response of "Ooooo...classy!" to a poster noting that some nationally-involved members of her sorority have tattoos.

Here in this thread, I and others engaged in conversation about a shirt (granted, offered through Phi Mu's in-house store) that a Phi Mu posted here, noting that she had asked her HQ (successfully, it would appear) to discontinue the shirt because she thought it could be seen by members and non-members alike as offensive. I don't think anyone in this thread has publically critiqued an organization to which they do not belong.

Swell try though.

Thanks for the explanation. I always understood your point, I am just wondering where the line is drawn. :)

*Retiring from hiatus for two seconds*

I didn't see the Sir Fidel shirt as a an adoption of a minority culture by elitist white groups. All of black culture is not ruined by a single hip hop reference on a Phi Mu t-shirt. As a "race" we have far bigger concerns.

I see it as an adoption of popular culture just as they would use "Wizard of Oz" theme or "Sex and the City" or a "How I Met Your Mother" theme. It's just what's hot in the streets right now to say "____ is my home boy" or whatever the kids are liking right now. The so called "hip hop" culture is what many young people are into and PNMs and others see these references and think it's "super cute" as we'd say down here.

It's not like they'd one day print a shirt saying "This N**** right here is my home girl" or something. At least not anyone with common sense.

Would I buy that shirt? No, but that's because it's ugly and we have way cuter things with more pink on it, not because I find it racist.

This. All of this. much more eloquent then i was being.

For all of this throwing around of the Wizard of Oz in this thread, I would love for someone to tell me the last time it was used as a theme on a college campus. It's only older than my mom. (And I am no spring chicken, sadly.)

I didn't think of it as blackface so much as trying to save money by only having one colour for the print