Analy skit spurs discussion of race/racism
by Extra.Credit
Analy High School has changed its policy regarding how it monitors what students can present at rallies and assemblies after a student wore blackface makeup at a recent Homecoming assembly.
The student darkened his face to portray Kanye West while his partner was supposed to be Taylor Swift, according to Analy Principal Chris Heller. The students were doing a parody of the now-famous mic-grabbing stunt West did at Mtv Video Awards ceremony in takeoff on Homecoming court voting.
“It looked like it was black shoe polish probably,” Heller said.
Heller spoke with the student who wore the makeup as well as his peers in the leadership class that put on the rally. “We handled the situation in house,” he said.
Heller said from now on, skits must be run by a teacher or administrator before being presented to the school.
“There haven’t really been a whole lot of checks and balances on this type of situation,” he said.
Heller said no parents or students have complained to him about the blackface makeup, but one teacher who is apparently also a parent of an Analy student did say the skit was cause for concern.
I received a letter in the mail from someone who identified themselves as an Analy parent and person of color, saying that their child was hurt by the skit but was too embarrassed to say anything.
The incident opened the door to discussing race and racial stereotypes with many students who may not have experienced such issues before, Heller said.
“We kind of talked about the judgment side of it,” he said. “You are also talking about a school that is almost 80 percent white, so I’m not sure they understand what it’s like.”
According to Heller, the student who acted as West said “what do we do in the future if we are going to portray president Obama?”
“Some people said the same thing about how else do you portray a character to make it believable, but others said ‘We are the leadership group…(and should act) so nobody feels disrespected,” Heller said. “They actually had a really positive discussion when it was all said and done.”
Heller said in the future, all skit concepts will be run through a teacher or administrator.
“It hadn’t been done in the past, students have been given a lot of (freedom),” he said. “When it happens, you have to look at what you do.”
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this does not sound like a discussion at all, merely admonishment for offending someone. The discussion of race that needs to take plae requires a more heroic effort than high school teachers can afford. It is without doubt impossible to get everyone to admit that the nature of intelligence is discermnment which requires judgements that show stereotypes, ethnic and racial geroupings, fear and safe categories, as well as other forms of judgements that will skate at the edge “racism”. It is our nature to be biased in our favor, whatever that favor is. To deny that this is a fundament of cognition is an absurdity, not being able to discuss racism without making sure that the discussion follows the form of the politial niceties of the day.
Although this is a pretty “white” county, it has its share of ethnic troubles. That students can’t understand the issues is absurd. It doesn’t take living next to a ghetto to see the issues. To be fair, the whole country lacks the will and foresight to see that the issues of racism go far beyond the political correctness of discussing racism without a caveat to the history of slavery. What isn’t pointed out is that slavery still exists today and nobody in the world wants to talk about it. Every race and ethnis group has racist viewpoints and supports them without getting accused of racism. Racism claims are only directed at “white” people.
To have a real discussion all forms of racism need to be aired, not just the ones of current political correctness. Barring that willingness to see all sides of issues, not much will change. The problems lie in the willingness of the community to overlook the lack of responsibility of victims to get beyond their victimhood. Without it, victims perpetrate racism in reverse without any awareness of their own racism, often defining racism as only offensive or “actual” when it is directed at them, not when they are guilty of racist thoughts, actions, and are not vaguely interested in overcoming their own responsibiliteis.
The discussion needs to take place in a victim free environment, where one voice does not have undue power to stop discussion. I doubt that any teacher, anywhere in Sonoma County has the license to hold such a discussion, so don’t blame the students. Blame the educators.
by paul
I should have proofread my writing. I meant the harshness to be a challenge, and to point out that real issues only occur within politically controlled environments and that this dsicussion WILL NOT take place, maybe just a little token moderated and closely watched and controlled discussion.
by paul
Maybe they should be made to watch White Chicks by the Wayan Bros for sensitivity training.
by steve
Gee I wonder what would happen if a black kid or “minority” painted his face white and pretended to be a member of the KKK? I’m just curious how would white folks feel? Things that make you go hmmm…
by Cynthia
I don’t understand how any “judgement” was involved. Kanye West is black. The student dressed up as a black man. I was in the skit. I know of a surety that no racism was intended. I am definitely not racist, and it hurts that people I don’t know assume I’m racist. I attend the Martin Luther King event at the Rohnert Park Community Center every year, i plan to adopt children of different ethinicities, I vocally promoted Barack Obama when he was running for president because I couldn’t vote for him myself. Honestly, it hurts that multiple people I don’t even know, who don’t even know myself or anyone else involved in the skit assume we’re insensitive racists. THAT’S judging. What this article conveniently failed to mention is that literally every year, the rally includes skits with boys dressing up as women for humor. Why is this not found offensive, but the Kanye West skit is? The last time I checked, African Americans got the vote before women. And as for the White Chicks comment, I find it interesting how that’s a popular comedy among my age group, yet it’s not okay for a white person to dress up as a black person. In response to the KKK comment, the KKK was a horrific organization. Kanye West is not a horrific representative of blacks, so I fail to see the comparison here. Kanye West himself is not a stereotype. We encouraged no stereotypes. He wasn’t portraying the entire race, he was portraying one person. But certain people turned it into a racial issue when it wasn’t. I’ve never heard of anyone being offended by that movie. Why is it okay for comedians to make racial jokes? People laugh at them, but when someone dresses up as a black person, doesn’t even make an offensive joke about that person, people find it offensive. We had absolutely NO discriminatory agenda, but that’s what people turned it into. It didn’t become offensive until people started talking about it.
by Jessica Skinner
I would like to add that I truly, sincerely apologize to the student of color who was offended. We meant no ill will.
by Jessica Skinner
This is the kind of thing that is published when there is NO news to report. Way to go PD!
by Jon
yes, not a big deal…..tell the kid that blackface can be offensive in some quarters, tho obviously at the rally they were just literally trying to recreate a pop culture incident. Kids didn’t have to do blackface, it would have been evident to all that it was these two celebs they were satarizing….end story.
by observing