Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Race at Rhodes
Being that the name of this blog is race at rhodes, I was wondering how everyone felt about actual race/groups at rhodes. Specifically, how well do you think that different groups/races at rhodes get along, and/or intermix with one another. This means greek/independent, south/north, and mixing of all races. Also, how do you feel about Rhodes giving all black tours with a black tour guide, which (as one of my friends that is a tour guide has told me) rhodes does on purpose. Note that this means that, either they do not want the white tour groups to be mixed or the vice-versa, and either way, it seems of wrong. It also seems that while rhodes may be trying to send the message of diversity, they have segregated us from our first steps onto campus. Also on my list of questions is that of the segregation in greek life, and why it is that we continue to have historically black and historically white fraternies? Why not just combine them all? (I imagine that Du Bois would object to this notion) I heard, and albeit this is a rumor, that one of the historically black fraternities did not allow its pledges to talk to white people during their hell week. I know this may be false, but regardless, if it has any truth, would you feel that this is a good or bad thing? (note that for other fraternities hell weeks, generally the pledges cannot talk to girls, have to wear suits, do things together as a group, and the not talking to white people could be a way to further the bonds of that group, as that is the goal of hell week) I realize that the above topics may raise some bit of controversy, but without this thesis and your antithesis's, we would never synthesize the problems that affect us daily here at Rhodes college. (i.e. I do not really have feelings one way or another about the above, as I have not come to a conclusion on any of these topics, they are merely questions I have, and hopefully you all will assist in this respect)
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I do think the trend of the tours being all black is interesting, and it's something I have noticed before & had conversations about as well. I'm sure one of the excuses is that it is done this way to make people in the tours "feel comfortable," but who's to say they wouldn't feel just as comfortable with a mixed group? This is the same phenomenon that happens when Res Life is placing freshmen in their dorm rooms. Most of the black athletes get put in rooms with other black athletes. Just because their skin may be the same color doesn't mean they are going to get along with their roommate any more than they would with a roommate of a different color on the same athletic team.
ReplyDeleteI know there are some racist people on this campus that would have a perceived conflict living with someone of a different skin color, so maybe it is good that Res Life does this. However, I think it's quite ridiculous to be so obvious about it. I don't know why that it being obvious bothers me, perhaps if it seemed more like a random occurance it wouldn't bother me.
The historically white and black franternities are also interesting. The ATOs have black men in their fraternity and I know at least one other fraternity has a few minorities, although I can't think of which one. The black sororities and fraternities on our campus are all black, however. At other schools I have noticed a few historically black sororities that didn't have white women, but they did have women of other minorities.
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about these things either, but I think it is interesting to think and talk about them.
I think that it is also interesting to really think about what we consider to be abnormal, and what stands out on this campus. An all black tour group lead by a black tour guide stands out, and seems to spark discussion and debate. But the numerous tours of all white prospective students lead by a white tour guide does not ruffle any feathers. Why is that? That also goes to a common discussion of who sits where in the cafeteria. Why is the "black table" a discussion starter when if you look around at the majority of the other tables and they are all white. I am a firm believer that in an environment where you are the minority you look for those that are most like you first, which is first based on skin color. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. I think that if we did not live in a racist society with racist institutions, we wouldn't think that using a black tour guide with a group of black students would be appropriate, we wouldn't think that first year students would feel most comfortable with someone of their same race as a roommate. IF it were not a reality about this campus there would not be so many support systems in place to combat racism or discrimination, or just discomfort that minority students may encounter.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to greek life, you have to take into account the word "historically". The greek organizations are not exclusive in that anyone has the opportunity to express interest and try to join the organization but you also have to understand that the process of being a member of a historically black organization and the historically white organizations is completely different.
I would have to agree with Annie about the black and white tours. There has been absolutely no concern showed for the fact that groups of all white prospective students only get white tour guides. It really does just stick out more when there is a group of black students on a majority white campus. From working in the admissions office I have come to find the when prospective minority students visit the school many of their concerns pertain to what minority activities happen at Rhodes and what the experiences are like for minorities. So I think it would be rather hard for a white person to answer these questions.
ReplyDeleteI am a member of a historically black sorority and the allegations that were made in the post are absolutely false. For starters historically black fraternities and sororities do not have hell weeks. Also if you understood how Greek organizations work you would know that it is impossible to combine the organizations because of a number of reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with race. These organizations are actually multi-million dollar businesses. The legal issues alone would not allow the organizations to combine. Also there are a number of white people in black fraternities and sororities (just not at Rhodes).
Now the rumor that you heard was completely false. As I stated before black organizations do not have hell weeks. Furthermore it is absolutely not true that he would not have been allowed to talk to white people. That may have just been his personal choice but it is definitely not a rule of the fraternity. One thing people do not understand about black Greek organizations is that those people who are being initiated cannot talk about their intake process with anyone outside of the organization. This is a rule that is written in their constitution and bylaws. The truth is that the intake processes for black and white organizations are different and unless you have shown interest in a black organization and have gone through the process you will never fully understand. This may be where the problem lies.
The lack of knowledge about these organizations by white students on Rhodes goes to show just how racist this campus may be. The white students, along the with administration do not put enough effort or interest into the black organizations on the campus and just do not know how they operate. Why is that? If you haven't noticed there are four black Greek organizations on the campus but when prospective students visit the campus this information isn't even in the pamphlet or told to them on the tours. However, there is ample information about the white Greek organizations. I know just as much about the white organizations on this campus as I do the black organizations. My question is why doesn't this work vice versa? I hate to sound like a racist but I believe the problem is still that embedded belief that Blacks are the inferior race and what they are doing is just not that important.
I agree with bell.annie and JJohnson. There is a huge double standard on campus when it comes to pointing out what amounts to segregation. Namely, no one seems to particularly care about all-white social groups, but only about all-black, all-asian, or all-hispanic ones. Typically caring the most about the all-black ones, for some reason. Rhodes failure to advertise and promote black organizations on campus is troublesome.
ReplyDeleteJJohnson: "I hate to sound like a racist but I believe the problem is still that embedded belief that Blacks are the inferior race and what they are doing is just not that important."
I'm not sure...that may be right. I have an alternate reading of why Rhodes does this. Unfortunately, there is a powerful current in mainstream culture-- to some degree I see this when people claim America is now a “post-racial society"-- that essentially says the burden for bridging the remaining racial divides falls on minorities. Which is to say, a sizeable number of people think race isn't mostly a white-black problem anymore, it's mostly a black problem.
Black organizations are often associated with groups like the black panthers, who were seen as rabidly anti-white. I think Rhodes' rationale to a limited extent is: 'we've done our part, you've got to meet us the rest of the way.' This idea, I think, has its origins in the belief that the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s effectively demolished the institutional obstacles to ending racism, and that the rest of the work to be done is basically "people getting their acts together." Typically, that means for minorities not to stop calling foul and to accept the status quo.
But mostly, I think Rhodes does things like their unofficial tour guide policy out of self-interest. Rhodes doesn't want to appear to be a place where race matters, because that will scare away prospective students. So, stuff which is likely to look that way is shoved under the rug. I think they have to think black organizations are important, otherwise they wouldn't try to conceal them from non-black tour groups.
In a way, the tour guide thing reminds me of Rhodes's bizarre yard work policys, especially blowing leaves during class time. Both faculty and students have complained about how doing yard work during class hours disrupts learning in the classroom, but nothing has really happened. It looks as though Rhodes cares more about beautifying its campus so that a student comes here, than overly worrying about the student's experiences once he or she is here. What I think this example illustrates is that when tensions crop up between Rhodes the ranked liberal arts college that seeks to improve its general social station in the pantheon of liberal arts institutions and the Rhodes that seeks to provide the best educational experience for its students, then the first appearances view of Rhodes too often wins out.
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ReplyDeleteThe issue of racism on Rhodes campus is obviously controversial, yet I don't think we can go blaming teachers, students, Rhodes administration etc. for not taking an initiative to diversify and expand cultural exposure. (Nor do I think appealing to perspective students is a bad thing. We have a beautiful camps that takes some maintenance, but everyone enjoys it whether you are looking or are a current student. Also, this happens on campuses throughout the country) B Blake makes a great point that many view our time as post-racial and the fact that racial groups do not feel that Rhodes is attributing equal acknowledgement of their social status is troublesome. I have to say coming in to Rhodes, I learned about the black sororities and was told not just on my tour, but also in the sorority packet that I received. Although, I do not know the indepth secrets, this is a practiced shared between all sororities. Unless you are a member, you are an outsider to the traditions and rituals of that sorority. I agree with JJohnson, that a better grasp of the cultural differences at Rhodes should be attempted by the community out of respect and interest for their peers. Similarly, if these organizations what students of different "race" to be involved, they must appeal to them as willing to integrate. The good thing is students at Rhodes are educated and searching to grasp the knowledge ahead of them. If there more ways to get involved or diversify the campus, I feel that students would be intrigued and try to learn from their fellow students.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the tours, yeah I agree with Annie and Jasmine. That's kind bullshit that no one says anything about the white groups. And I also understand that as minorities, especially with such a divide as is present at Rhodes, we go for who we are similar to (please note I'm using the royal "we" here). As for the rooming assignments for pro-studs, that just makes sense to me. I'm under the impression the goal is to set a pro-stud with another student that has similar interests and supposed behavioral tendencies for a simulated run of what the pro-stud can expect should they attend. And I don't know anything about the Greek systems, black or white.
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ReplyDeleteWhat I meant to push for is all of the groups to be mixed, no all white or all black groups....period. I disagree that there are any exclusively white groups at rhodes, or at least none that I know about. There may be groups without black people, but that is just a symptom of a small black population and the inability of all organizations to have a significant black population. Black tour guides give tours to white kids, and the vice-versa should be acceptable as well. Why is it that incoming freshmen are interested in minority groups, why not campus activities as a whole? Why not ask about groups that are vested in some common interest of the prospective student, like greek life (all of them), or the club sports, or any of the other fine organizations which accept people of all backgrounds. I think that Rhodes does a terrible job uniting our community across the racial boundaries, and I think that these examples only further the problem. When people only associate with others who share only common interests, there is no progress or synthesis of ideals, only unification as a separate entity. There should not be all white organizations, but there should not be all black organizations either......there is no reason to try to further only white ideals, and there is no reason to try to further only black ideals, we must further humanity and our common ideals as Americans. I did not mean to just combine the greek system at rhodes, but across the nation. Institutions which further segregation and racial tension should be fixed or eliminated....period.
ReplyDeleteThere are some really good points being made on this blog topic. I think it is safe to say Rhodes, although it has made great efforts to make all groups feel welcome on campus, is still doing a poor job creating an ideal atmosphere for all. I have heard of non-white faculty having a difficult time teaching and living in the Rhodes community. Why is this so? I think Rhodes needs to take a close look at what would make campus unwelcoming for some and change those things. I am a member of a fraternity on campus that has mostly white members. We are always trying to entice minority students to join, but it is very difficult. I believe that non-white students are atracted to people who are like them and intimidated by being a part of a group that is culturally and racially different. The white students here must realize that there is a cognitive burden when being one of few who is different. It is sad that people are singled out for how they look, but it happens whether or not we realize it. It is so hard to avoid racial tension when 90 percent of a student body is one race. I'm sure we have all been a minority (not necessarily racial) at some point in our lives, and can understand how being different makes us feel alone and unwelcome. I think many of the groups on campus are developed for support from those with similar characteristics. I don't think these groups create racial tension, but are in response to racial tension felt from an unwelcoming community. Rhodes is and should actively recruit students and faculty from different groups. With more diversity on campus, all groups will be less likely to experience tension, and we can all celebrate the intermingling and desegregation of the current group dynamics.
ReplyDeleteI did some research into the guided tour situation and talked to one of my friends who is a Rhodes Diplomat. My initial, uninformed, assumption was that somewhere in admissions someone decided to intentionally make groups of all the minority students and assign a specific diplomat to them, which was why there were all black groups led by a black guide. I was informed, though, that the groups usually come from the same school, so if the school is predominately black, the group will be as well. The Diplomats are not assigned to groups either. They chose which tour to give. My friend, who is black, said sometimes he intentionally picks the all black groups so he can give the prostuds his perspective of the school and relate some of his experiences to them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm just posting this for my own benefit, but I figured since I cleared up some of my misconceptions, this might help other people too.
I think that it is important to note that what is perpetuating the problem of race at Rhodes is simply a culture complex. That is, people of the same skin color feel most comfortable around each other. Although previous posts have noted that this is not true, I cannot blame the Rhodes administration for grouping minorities together on tours or giving them minority tour guides. They probably feel that this will make the student feel most comfortable and in the end it is all about influencing them to come to the school. Also, as far as social groups and race goes at Rhodes, I have to again point to the fact that race seems to transcend all other characteristics, at least among minorities. As one girl in my PA group put it, "to be around other Black people is to be at home." I feel that we need to take it easy on organizations that are typically homogeneous. If people feel that type of comfortability in that setting then it is none of my business to prevent it.
ReplyDelete