Students disown blackface at GSU
 

Students disown blackface at GSU

By ETAN HOROWITZ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/04/04
Hundreds of students gathered at a Georgia State University ballroom Thursday to speak out about a racial incident at a fraternity party in January.
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School officials called the meeting after word spread around campus and students started posting fliers to protest the incident.
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During the weekend of Jan. 24, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity hosted an off-campus party with the theme "Straight Outta Compton," with guests encouraged to wear hip-hop clothing, said Rebecca Stout, the assistant vice president and dean of students.
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Two fraternity members showed up in blackface, and members of a historically black fraternity that was in attendance reported the incident to university officials the next week. The fraternity that reported the incident, Phi Beta Sigma, did not want to file charges against Pi Kappa Alpha or the students, so the university did, Stout said.
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The two students have been suspended from their fraternity, and the university has charged them with discriminatory harassment under the student code of conduct, Stout said. Discipline may range from diversity training to possible expulsion. The university also filed charges against the fraternity, and a hearing will be held in a few weeks.
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About a third of the student body at Georgia State is African-American. Organizers estimated that 700 students attended the forum Thursday. After it was over, some students hugged, while others cried and shook hands.
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"All students were able to express that racism will not and should be tolerated at Georgia State University," said Alvatina Upshaw, 22, a junior from Atlanta.

This chapter has a history of racial incidents at GSU, one of which was the impetus behind a three-day sit in on campus. They were barred from campus for a term or two (I can't remember exactly) but they were allowed to return. Seeing that things haven't changed for the chapter, I hope the administration takes a closer look at their antics.