Warning: Cultural observations follow. Readers should realize that the author has no real basis for his arguments, and he only obtained a sociology degree after an intense one-month program from a respectable online university.
It’s sometimes difficult to surmise why people say prejudiced things, especially in the magical pixie land of diversity known as Bloomington. Case in point – the following statement was recently overheard on IU’s campus: “Why do blacks get their own history month? When are we going to have White History Month?”\nI checked, and the person who said this was not wearing a white hood and carrying a burning cross. Nor was he intoxicated, which, let’s admit, is no excuse for such ignorance, but it makes an observer better able to understand why a person’s ability to self-censor would be impaired.\nNo, the genius of White History Month was uttered by a normally clothed, visibly sober IU student.\nHow sad.\nThen again, people have been making some tremendously foot-in-mouth statements as of late. Bill Clinton, for example, had to tone down his rhetoric after his crossfire with Sen. Barack Obama during the presidential campaign ignited racial tensions. Similarly, listen to anything coming from the likes of Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter and you’ll quickly learn the value of keeping misinformed observations to yourself. \nThe beauty of a college campus is not only the limestone buildings and the nonstop parade of Ugg Boots. Rather, colleges all over the country have the wonderful opportunity to share a diverse range of cultures and viewpoints. The greatness of IU is contained in one part by a community that welcomes events such as Black History Month. But unfortunately, the same openness warrants the consideration of an opinion as ill-informed as one that would rant against Black History Month in favor of a month for whites. \nEven though it’s painful to admit, we should consider what a month full of honoring white culture would entail. Fortunately, I planned a homecoming dance in high school, which qualifies me to get going on White History Month. Here’s how it might unfold:\nWeek 1 – A potluck will be held at the center of white culture, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dishes will include hamburgers, spaghetti and Coors Light. Native Americans will provide smallpox-laden blankets, upon which will be written: “Just returning the favor. . .”\nWeek 2 – The only sport undertaken will be auto racing. Still, no one north of the Mason-Dixon Line will care, save those at the potluck.\nWeek 3 – A day of commemoration will be held for the country’s greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. No one south of the Mason-Dixon Line will attend.\nWeek 4 – A series of concerts will commemorate the fact that whites really do like rap music but are too shy to dance to it.\nBecause White History Month won’t happen for a while, how about attending an event for Black History Month instead? Who knows, you may actually learn something, which is supposedly a benefit of being at college. Well, that and seeing Ugg Boots.
