I've sent e-mails to a bunch of higher-ups, but it's really hard to explain why this is offensive to anyone who can't immediately see that it's offensive (given knowledge of Phi Mu and our mascot).

Serious questions and I am not trying to be a smartass:

Since this is an official "representation" of Phi Mu, do you see an issue with posting the picture and announcing this to GC? Are you trying to essentially shame the higher ups into understanding what is so offensive?

And why don't the higher ups understand why blackfacing the mascot would be offensive with and without the however-many-crowns-homeboy? :confused:

I will admit that the blackface didn't immediately jump out at me. My first thought with the crown and the style of the design was that it resembled a brass rubbing, where everything is black except the outline:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...g_1248838c.jpg

I would have taken it that way too, except the "homeboy" thing and you could argue some of the features are exaggerated.

Oh, I definitely see it, especially with the "homeboy." I'm just saying that my first reaction was that it's the style of brass rubbing, not blackface.

I still dont really get why having the whole design printed in black is offensive... i dont think there is anything racial or deragatory there , its simply a white shirt with black design. homeboy has become slang for white people too and isnt necessarily offensive. would you feel different if the same design was in pink rather than black?

i dont think its really worth getting so worked up over, but what do i know? *shrug*

In pink it would be merely stupid, instead of stupid AND offensive.

Google the history blackface if you still don't get it.

FYI -

http://gallery.mtbr.com/data/mtbr/51...my-homeboy.jpg

http://www.jesusismyhomeboy.com/


I don't think the word homeboy and "blackface" are being used in the way some of you are thinking.

Same here. I kept staring at the photo and concluded that the only issue was the "homeboy."

I wonder if the Phi Mu representatives will say that it was mere coincidence--brass rubbing and "homeboy." It was an unintended consequence.

It would be a silly pink "mascot is my homeboy" shirt rather than a seemingly blackface "mascot is my homeboy" shirt. That would make it dumb rather than racially and ethnically offensive.


You are kind of new to posting on Greekchat. There are two things that grate GCers' nerves:

1. Speaking for a council/conference and GLO other than your own

2. Responding to social and political discussions with "don't get worked up over this."

I think what DeltaBetaBaby put in parentheses is probably key to understanding her reaction to the shirt:

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby (Post 2131964) . . . it's really hard to explain why this is offensive to anyone who can't immediately see that it's offensive (given knowledge of Phi Mu and our mascot).

By the way, that Jesus is a lot "blacker" than 99% of the depictions of Jesus around the world:

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...OZo-JJOMT9XH-g


But, yeah, everything's a mere coincidence and unintended consequence. LOL. Sure.

I must have skimmed past that. Why was it brought up on GC if only a handful of people would realize what was offensive? I would think that it would be kept within the Phi Mu family.

In any event, I still think that the homeboy thing was in reference to the site I linked.

And that is absolutely fine. There are Christians who find that reference to Jesus to be offensive, just as there are apparently Phi Mus who find that reference to their mascot to be offensive.

What's more interesting is how that mascot is now a brass rubbing "homeboy" and Jesus is now a big nosed, crinkly haired "homeboy."

LOL @ the "Jesus Is My Homeboy" website claiming that the tshirt was designed without a race, creed, or color and that it was a neutral image that everyone can identify with. That's as much bullshit as the Eurocentric images of Jesus being neutral without race, creed, or color. Anyway, people just need to be honest. If you wanted a darkened Phi Mu mascot for a tshirt, just say so. If you wanted a darkened Jesus for a tshirt, (regardless of how Jesus really looked and whether there was ever a "Black Baby Jesus"), just say so. Quit the bullshit. LOL.

The crown displayed would have fooled me, I would have guessed that it had 8 points with three hidden behind the three in the center. But in heraldry, you define it be the number of points visible...

At least both of them have a beard. Though beardless is less bizarre than Blonde and fair skinned. (How far from Palestine do you have to get before you get a decent number of Blondes, Austria?).