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I feel like everyone involved in this story is an idiot. Is it racist to smear charcoal on your face to dress as a 1840's era gold digger? No. Is it a bad idea to do that at a party named after a black man? Yes. Is it a bad idea to get outraged about that? Also yes.
Is it inherently racist to use a famous PoC as a theme for your event? No*. Is it a good idea, given the fact that lots of groups have handled this very poorly in recent years? Nope.
*I'm still thinking about this one. It's not consciously racist, but do chapters have parties named after white men? Someone gave the example of a Taylor Swifty party. I think I'd need a lot more context...this certainly doesn't rise to the level of racial slurs or blackface, but there are some appropriation issues, and if black people are seen as "themes" while white people are not, there is an "othering" that is happening and in that way, it contributes to structures of oppression.
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