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UVa Cavalier Daily

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Letters to the Editor


Equal opportunity racism

I encountered something this weekend that I feel that students should be aware of, as it is a matter of great importance.

Saturday night, while out at a Halloween party, I witnessed something extremely shocking. An African-American male walked in to the party dressed as a "white guy," with his face painted white, wearing a pink polo-style shirt and a sweater tied around his shoulders. In light of the controversy and offensiveness of the blackface scandal of two Halloweens ago, I find it unbelievable that this person would choose to dress up in "whiteface," perhaps as a reference to two years ago. I am forced to wonder why this is deemed acceptable, and why this person likely will not face the same repercussions as did the blackface students.

I found the blackface of two years ago to be equally offensive as this incident, which is what makes me even more angry. If we are supposedly a community of racial equals, how can the repercussions for one race be nonexistent, while for the other race severe?

I feel that this is just as offensive as the occurrence two years ago, and must be acknowledged as such. With the obvious racial tensions that exist at U.Va., I feel that both sides must do their part to achieve a community of equals, and this is undoubtedly a step in the wrong direction.

Ashley Davis

CLAS III