Blackface Incident at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington

whitworth-blackfaceFive members of the women’s soccer team at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, were suspended after photographs of them in blackface were posted on social media. The White soccer players were in costume as the Jackson 5.

In a statement posted online, Lawrence Burnley, associate vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the university, wrote “the student who posted the photo has since removed it and expressed remorse for the insensitivity of the decision to dress in this manner. The administration is taking further steps to examine the developments around the students’ decision to engage in this insensitive act. It is critical that the student body and Whitworth community learn from this behavior and consider not only the real or perceived intent of such actions, but also the detrimental impact they have on members of our community, regardless of intent. Whitworth has absolutely no tolerance for the type of behavior demonstrated.”

Whitworth University enrolls about 2,400 undergraduate students and 300 graduate students. Blacks are 2 percent of the undergraduate student body.

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2 COMMENTS

    • no, the fact that they wore it doesnt mean that “they are not racist”, it means that they have been brainwashed into the color blind ideology of racism, which is the idea or belief that racism is over, it doesn’t exist in our world today, therefore people don’t see color they see every one, whites or blacks, as equal. but this definition is not that of reality, because in reality once you are identified as a person of color you are automatically denied certain privileges and rights that are afforded to whites and treated as though you are less of a person compared to that of a white person.

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