Blackface
By And I thought we lived in a post-racial society!
In all seriousness, this brings up a couple of more substantial points. First, it’s not like kids haven’t seen blackface on Saturday Night Live before. At least in some of the political impersonations. Because, after all, the idea of SNL having more than 1 or maybe 2 black people would be shocking. Two, this wasn’t your old-school blackface but rather a Cosby Show themed thing.
On the other hand, it was my experience when living in Tennessee and being in a few gatherings with recently graduated greeks that racist jokes were still told and laughed at. These women might not have known the history of blackface in America, but I’ll be damned if they thought it was an innocent act. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi? No. Our continued unwillingness to have serious conversations about race and history in this country creates odd scenarios like this.
Of course, it might help if eliminated the entire greek system. Talk about a movement I could get behind.