Blackface costumes spur frank talk at Smith

By Kristin Palpini
Staff Writer

Published on November 23, 2007

NORTHAMPTON - Students and administrators at Smith College are grappling with fallout over a white couple's decision to attend a costume party dressed in blackface.

The incident is aggravating racial tensions and has sparked a series of racially charged Internet debates that, for some, suggest the college has a problem with racial understanding that goes deeper than makeup.

On Friday night, the couple, an unidentified Smith freshman and a male friend, attended a student-sponsored "Celebrity Rehab" party at the Campus Center. The duo painted their skin black, donned Afro wigs and dressed as singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.

In an email letter to the Smith community Monday, President Carol T. Christ described the couple as wearing "caricatured black clothing and accessories."

At the party, the two were quickly confronted by a group of students offended by their costumes. The confrontation did not involve harassment or violence, party attendants said, but the woman was brought to tears and washed her makeup off. The man remained in blackface. It is unclear how long the couple stayed at the party.

Some students at the party defended the couple's right to wear blackface because the paint was part of the costume, said Melissa Estrella, who was at the event.

"I was appalled. I couldn't believe someone would do this," said Estrella, a Smith student. "I thought I was in a whole different time zone or something."

Blackface "represents a mockery of a group of people who should be respected for the fact that they are human," said Smith student Gladys S. Pulido. "This says 'the hell with the institution of equality.' What this action says is that democracy means nothing. You don't belong here and you never will."

Following the party, people posted comments on Internet forums facebook.com and dailyjolt.com about the blackface incident. A number of the posts carried racial undertones.

On the Daily Jolt Web site, one student said she fears she will leave Smith "hating white people" because of episodes like the party.

Meanwhile, a handful of students criticized classmates for overreacting to the ill-conceived costumes.

"Quite frankly I find this whole issue stupid in every way," wrote one anonymous poster on the Daily Jolt forum. "I don't see how this is any different than dressing up as a Geisha for Halloween and painting your face & eyes to look Asian. Why is this acceptable and 'black face' is not?"

Naomi J. Miller, director of institutional diversity at Smith College, said the comments may be more troubling than the couple who dressed in blackface because the posts give voice to a quiet racism that underlies society. The comments were made anonymously and therefore are difficult for the college to address.

"The almost more disturbing part of what has happened over the last sequence is the series of racial comments made on the Jolt in response to it," Miller said. "Black, white, Asian, they all have the right to claim their culture and react however they feel appropriate to disturbing or racist acts."

Jannah C. Handy, a Smith student leader among a group of her colleagues outraged by the blackface incident and resulting comments, said the backlash has aggravated racial tensions on campus.

"Basically, she (the woman in blackface) now understands her ignorance," Handy said. "The problem is now on campus. The Daily Jolt is carrying racist remarks and the whole thing is getting misconstrued."

On Monday, Handy was among a group of about 40 concerned Smith students who congregated at the Campus Center to share their disgust over the matter and discuss how the college can move forward.

Students said they would email administrators and demand a college-wide response to address racism on campus. Other student demonstrations may follow, said Handy, but students are pressed for time by midterm exams and Thanksgiving break, which starts Wednesday.

"The campus administration has got to do something and not just some superficial response to this racist environment on campus," Handy said. "Yes, they hold forums and talks at us, but all the same people attend these. It's like preaching to the choir."

Smith College has vowed to use the incident to bring attention to racial diversity, stereotyping and the worldwide problem of racism.

The college plans to hold a diversity forum after the Thanksgiving break as well as an all-campus meeting at the beginning of the spring semester addressing racism.

"Smith isn't immune to this sickness of racism, it's in our society," Miller said. "The racist comments made visible what happens at every college and community, the racism that lies below the surface.

"We're going to be moving forward in a positive direction from a very challenging event," she added.

In addition to forums and immediate conversations, Smith will form a group of faculty, staff and students to advise Christ, the college president, about programs the institution could create to give the community the opportunity to confront issues of race.

"The recurrence of racist incidents in our culture and on our campus shows us we have much work to do," Christ said.

Students said past incidents of racism on the Smith campus include a 2006 article in a student club publication, "Right View," about the evils of affirmative action and a general undercurrent of racism felt on and off the college campus.

"This isn't only at Smith - there's a lot of racial injustice across the country and people are tired of it," said Smith student Genesis I. Mullins.