Last Friday night, 20 African-American, non-Davidson students came to watch my performance at the Outpost. Afterward, we all decided to go to one of the fraternities to enjoy a party. On our way from the Outpost to the house, my friends and I were bombarded with the following statements: "Wattup Homies?" "Hey dawgs."
One guy even demanded that we start stepping in the middle of the street before admitting he had no clue who we were. Another female just started rapping to us and beatboxing. When we approached the house, one member of the fraternity (who was not the official person to check cards) told us that we could not enter because he did not know who we were. Once I showed him and the actual door manager my CatCard, we were allowed into the party. However, as we walked in, the same person who did not want to let us in repeated many times, "Don't start any fights, dog."
I made sure to keep an eye on my friends at the party because they were my guests. They were completely respectful, mostly keeping to themselves. When it was time for them to leave, I walked the guys to their car and came back to the fraternity house where two police cars were waiting. Apparently a complaint had been made that my friends were making people "uncomfortable." Several officers who had already been in the house listened to the complaints, and did not see my guests causing any trouble.
A few other African-American Davidson students were told to tell "their friends" to leave. I wonder why it was assumed that the African-American guests were assumed to be friends of other African-American Davidson students.
One of my friends was accused of rummaging through the coats in the back of the house. I admit, I did catch him going through the pile of jackets. How else he would be able to retrieve his own jacket from the pile?
Throughout the night, my friends were heckled, threatened and essentially alienated from a Davidson party. 20 young men left Davidson Friday night and returned to their respective communities with tales of racist greetings and complaints that they made the students at Davidson "uncomfortable." I know that a few Davidson professors have advocated for the removal of some houses at Patterson Court because they harbor racist and sexist sentiments, especially when alcohol is involved.
Last weekend, I saw those sentiments rear their ugly heads. I believe, though, that blaming what happened at Patterson Court on alcohol simplifies the down-the-hill activities that only expose racist sentiments some students already harbor. I will concede that it is possible that people were uncomfortable simply because strangers were at a party in large numbers. However, this does not begin to excuse the racist comments, accusations and admonishments not to start any fights. It is also important to mention that nearly every African-American student at Davidson has had to encounter some sort of racial insensitivity while trying to enjoy a Friday night. Unfortunately, when incidents of insensitivity occur on this campus, a discussion is set up somewhere in the Union or Chambers and a room full of people with similar opinions generally agree about the racial insensitivity present on campus.
As a move toward more a inclusive, open discussion, I believe that some sort of requirement should be put in place for Patterson Court organizations to put on diversity or multicultural events at least once a semester. Members of each house must attend their and other houses' events.
Hopefully, with more discussions and open conversation, terrible events like the one that happened last weekend will not occur again.
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