The University of Michigan, responding to complaints from offended students, directed Theta Xi fraternity to drop plans for a "hood ratchet" party promoted with racial references, the campus newspaper reports.
Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones, who lodged a formal complaint with the fraternity, said the university responded immediately and took student complaints very seriously. . . .
The administration made it clear that the party will not be allowed to take place on Nov. 7, and Theta Xi’s national headquarters has determined all further social events will be suspended until their investigations are concluded. . . . "Obviously, the way the party was both conceived of and executed is in direct contradiction to the standards of our university,” Jones said.
This screenshot shows the top of the online invitation. A UM senior sent it to administrators with a complaint. (Photo by Erica Nagy)
A Facebook event page for next Thursday evening's bash referred to twerking contests and said "bad bitches, white girls, basketball players, thugs, gangsters” and “ratchet pussy” were all invited. (The Urban Dictionary defines "ratchet" as "a diva, mostly from urban cities and ghettos, that has reason to believe she is eye candy.")
"Many students of color say they were personally offended by the invitation," according to an article by Stephanie Shenouda in The Michigan Daily.
One of them, senior Erin Fisher, is a sorority member who condemns Theta Xi's move as "incredibly offensive" and "making a mockery out of a culture they do not belong to."
Jones, the dean, met Tuesday with fraternity president Eric Quang, Interfraternity Council leaders and UM's director of Greek life, the paper reports.
The University also reached out to Theta Xi’s national board, whose members expressed concern and are conducting their own investigation.
E. Royster Harper, the university's vice president for student affairs, emailed all students Thursday about the situation, according to a Facebook post by the paper.
"This Is Not Acceptable"
Shendouda paraphrases Jones., the dean, as saying education and dialog about appropriate language, behavior and cultural appropriation
“The incident in question was not only racially offensive, but degrading to women in general, and the most restorative way to move forward is to provide education on why this is not acceptable.”
The fraternity is in the process of drafting an apology to the students who came forward, . . . Jones said.
Geralyn Gaines of Rochester Hills says: "The invitation amplified stereotypes and used . . . disgusting language."
Geralyn Gaines, a junior sociology major from Rochester Hills who's on the Black Student Union's executive board, told the reporter she felt “complete and utter disgust” upon seeing the invitation.
“It’s scary to think that I sit in class with people who think this way and people that agree with them, people who legitimately thought this party was a good idea and was okay,” Gaines said. “The invitation amplified stereotypes and used a level of disgusting language that it was evident they actively tried to offend us.”
Gaines, a 2011 cum laude graduate of Detroit County Day School, tells The Daily that this is her first exposure to racism at UM.
"Theta Xi Invited the Wrong 'Bad Bitch' "
Fisher, the angered sorority member, wrote an impassioned commentary for the student paper. Excerpts:
This invite was sent to me because I’m a member of Greek life. . . . It was assumed that my member status negates me from being offended by such an oppressive and derogatory theme and the subsequent comments. It angers me that members of a community that I often defend to others could exploit the identities of students and faculty on this campus. . . .“Why can’t you just take the joke?” so many have already asked. I can’t take the joke because of the alarming number of fraternity brothers that have asked me if I’m from Detroit when I attend their events as one of the few women of color. I can’t take the joke because of the obscene number of times I’ve been asked to “twerk” and “dance” for these white men, because my Black identity obviously tells them I possess the inherent talent and desire to do so. I can’t take the joke because I don't have the luxury to remove the labels of “hood,” “ratchet” or “bad bitch” after the party ends.
The privileged students on this campus tie those labels to my identity because of my racial minority status. I can’t take the joke because racism and oppression are alive and well on this campus; a campus where I’m often the only person of color in a classroom. . . .
So no, I cannot simply take the joke that Theta Xi thought was an appropriate way to invite the people they share this campus with, to have a nice time at their event. Theta Xi invited the wrong “bad bitch” to their party.
