Lil Wayne blackface skit roils Bethel University

• Obviously racist. http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/WarriorMarikus/DaveChappele.JPG

• I also enjoy that many of you willing to submit your comments and two cents are so unwilling to address those who frustrate you in person. You have to attack them and address them via blogging or internet with false identities in order to get your say. I don't see how this will resolve anything. There is such thing as healthy conflict, where you address the person and talk the issue out. It is something you must do in order to survive marriage and many other relationships. Talk. Much of what you have to say is important yes. I encourage and challenge you to listen to others and talk with them. Engage in hard conversations.

• We select and draw where we live on our own. People choose the environment they want to live in and North Village has been one in which certain feel safe. It is NOT the only place students of color harbor. Navigators is a transition program which actually helps students transition into the school. If hadn't been for such a program I believe many students would transition out because the other program is not suited in a way that helps certain students transition in. Because of these two environments I have further been able to survive on this campus as one who has came in from many untraditional backgrounds. Please do not take away from my story. We are all suppose to listen to one another. I hear your perspective and point of view. I firmly believe that you cannot know wholy about those things you have not experienced or been through yourself. You can understand through some one else. You can empathize or sympathize or feel for. But you never really know about something unless you lived it or participated it. I cannot know what those students wore at Mr. BU or what their skit was even about. I didn't go. I can see that I believe that what they did was hurtful and ignorant. It does not mean that the students themselves are racists or malicious. It was a foolish thing to do. And foolishness has consequences, as everyone should know.

• II disagree with your claim that "unconscious racism does not exist". That is simply not true and could never be justified. Aren't you familiar with the saying, "Ignorance is no excuse."? This is applied to our justice system in the United States. Whether he knew it or not, his act was one of racism. His direct punishment is lowered due to his ability to claim ignorance, as it should be. Also, the protesters have the right to do what they did, and obviously they are getting the desired results. It brought press into the situation, and I think it will force Bethel to reconsider the programs they have implemented. So, I take back a previous comment from a post: I do not totally agree with GIRL WHO HAS HAD ENOUGH. I have read your other posts and I believe you are wrong about a lot of stuff. I just agree with the point that you have made about Bethel's segregated campus and the problems that Bethel's reconciliation program has.

• I totally agree with Girl who has had enough!!! Bethel has long caused harm by trying to implement racial reconciliation programs in our school. They have neglected education on these issues--a racial history class would be a great requirement. Instead, we're forced to study Christianity and Western Culture: the history of Christianity under the oppressive rule and spread of Western Culture, which is dominated by one race. Also, our campus is basically segregated, and this is largely caused by the various programs of the reconciliation program. TO add to the above post's examples, when freshmen are welcomed to Bethel campus, students of different races are welcomed separately, which I have never understood. This systemic failure that has spread throughout Bethel is apparent in the groups of people that you see hanging around Bethel hallways. It doesn't matter how much you rationalize the situation...blackface is taboo because of its history. However, this incident is not comparable to others(i.e. Hamline's Halloween party incident). The blamed student did not have any idea what he was doing, but ignorance is not an excuse...it simply excludes the blamed student from being a racist. However, anybody must be aware that when they step on to a stage that they are in a special position and must be aware of the implications of their actions. When you put yourself in that situation, you put yourself at the public's mercy and must accept all repercussions. This is a special situation...some people think we should evolve beyond blackface, especially when used without malicious intent. It appears to cause no harm, but it obviously strikes a nerve in some. It's funny that most of the people involved in the protest were white, but Bethel's black population is so small that perhaps they wanted to avoid placing a label on themselves, as many students would have criticized them behind their backs. So we don't really know how they feel. This post is getting too long, so in closing, all you white people out there that are quick to rationalize this student's actions should really question your place in this issue. It is not your call to say what you think is right. What would Jesus do in this matter? Obviously he never would have done this, but I believe he'd be washing the feet of the offended, realizing they have every right to be offended. To all those throwing stones, I hope you realize that this is an education issue and nothing more. To the kid impersonating Lil Wayne...why Lil Wayne? Lame choice of an "artist". Ha, just playing, man.

• Also...there was a protest today...that made television. How does that make our school look to an outside person. These students and faculty are "demanding" things, and they are just receiving them...for what? It's so stupid...they are taking an advantage of a situation that was 100 percent innocent. These students need to take a step back and look at the what they just did. They are only furthering the problem more, even though they think they are making it better...THEY ARENT! also, no wonder our school is divided. We have groups like navigators who separate students of a different race from white students. Or ACF where Asians group themselves to make a better transition to a white college, when only they are separating themselves instead of joining in and being an equal. OR we have a dorm called North Village, where if u hadn't noticed...the only people that live there are people of color. The only way white ppl end up there is if they are reconciliation majors, have a roommate that is a person of color, or just couldn't get into another dorm and are stuck in that one. Take a look at who the RD is of that dorm as well. Instead of focusing how separated our campus is by noticing the color of skin...how about we realize how much we are all alike. To me, we are all people, we are all humans, I am no better than anybody else, no matter what my skin color is. WE ARE ALL PEOPLE OF CHRIST...THAT IS WHAT SHOULD BE IMPORTANT! but no...instead...let's focus on this...clearly it's making our school a better environment...note my sarcasm

• Personally as a university, Bethel should be supporting both those who are hurt and those who were in the skit. These boys are upstanding guys who are known well among the bethel community. They apologized immediately after they realized what they did was wrong. They apologized profusely. That is all they can do. What do you want from them? Thats all they can do, they can't take back what happened or what was done. Publicly humiliating them is just as wrong as what they did. Yes, the boys needed to know what they did was wrong. I'm not denying that, they needed to be talked to. They also should talk to the students who were offended. This situation did not need to be brought into the paper, radio, or the television. As a professor, you should have known what is proper etiquette of what to disclose to a reporter and public. You should know, anything you say to a reporter will get twisted. No this is not your fault, however you should have known better to give information to them. False information has been said about Reed Larsen which also makes the situation worse. I am also a student at Bethel, and as Peitzman said, I am now walking around in fear that anything I say will cause offense to somebody. This has caused so much unneeded separation at this university. This whole situation was handled so poorly. There was NO need for a protest DURING a chapel service that was about reconciliation. Bethel is all about reconciliation, but this has NOT been shown to these boys. What happened to grace? or forgiveness? Some people in the protest are willing to shout around campus their opinion, and thats ok. However, when i was expressing my opinion in a private, quiet conversation I was approached by someone saying I needed to get my facts straight. So this is telling me, we need to hear your opinion loud and clear but we can not express ours at all. Is that right? No.In the real world you will not be able to have a hissy fit about every little thing said to you, you need to pick your battles. Something that has been done innocently or intentionally is two different things. It is VERY clear that what these boys did was unintentional. Forgive and move on. Fact of the matter is the boys have all done everything asked of them WILLINGLY, including missing classes, to help resolve this issue. It's time to let it go and move on.

• @Ruben Rivera... I've had you as a prof for 2 classes at Bethel. One of them was Minorities in America, and I definitely enjoyed the class. However, this situation has gotten way out of control. Please understand that this is only my own personal thought on the matter. I believe that there is only racism when it is done consciously. Think about it, if a person wants to be a racist towards another person, they will attack that person in either a verbal, humiliating, and degrading way, much like "blackface" was in the past. But you stated that it was unconscious criticism in your post, and I believe that doesn't exist. If it's done unconsciously, and not on purpose, not even knowing of what "blackface" even is...how can that be racist. In your class, we mentioned how some cartoons are racist. And I agree that some are, but they are definitely more stereotypical than racist. And up on the Mr. BU stage, there was a boy pretending to be Lil Wayne...not every single black person on the face of the earth. He was not wearing baggy pants or grills, but if he was...that is still just a stereotype. It is not right, but there is a big difference between stereotypes and racism, and even though sometimes they relate, i don't think they do in this situation. I'm also in Dr. Brook's class...Understanding Diversity. I've learned a lot, and even though dr. brooks and I have different views on this situation, all i feel like is happening is literally a bunch of "baby reconciliation majors, and people who think they have a better status because of their race...they think they can exploit 5 boys who were just trying to win a competition." and you can quote me on that...

• It's incredible the thing people choose to focus on. Of course I did not mean racism "deliberate and unconscious" at the same time. TWO KINDS of racial expression: deliberate AND unconscious. If what I said had not been truncated into one quote out of a 15 minute interview, and if the one quote had not been printed midstream (there was more to it in the original), and if the partial quote had not be reduced to three words (deliberate and unconscious) maybe it would have been obvious that TWO KINDS was the meaning. Ruben Rivera

• If you are a praying person, lift one up for the University, Students, and Staff. Should we not seek justice? Humility? Reconciliation? Social consciousness? We need help and grace and action. Be constructive. Heed Ruben's call. Conceptualize a new community founded on an understanding of the past that is holistic and a hope for the future informed by structural sin and the desire to live differently. If you've come here to help, you'll be put to work.

• I am Ruben Rivera. Much of what I said has been either lifted out of context or made to say the reverse of what I said. For example, I did NOT say the BU students did what they did "deliberately." I said that blackface portrayals have been an expression of deliberate and unconscious racism in America, and that's why many people still find it offensive even in 2010. I have said repeatedly that the student(s) said the offense was unintentional and I take them at their word, but that unfortunately their actions still hurt people. The two quotes from me in the Star Tribune are from a much larger 15 minute phone interview, and among the things I have said repeatedly is that (1) I wasn't at the event and I'm not black, so people should talk to them; (2) these offending students should not be demonized; (3) their apology should be accepted, but that it makes sense for them to be involved in the healing and reconciliation process with the folks they unintentionally hurt; (4) that calm and perspective be applied (some people, including some white professors at Bethel University, thought the students should be suspended, and I said that was too severe for an unintended offense). Please, people, respond to me, not crazy rumors about me. The venom, even from Christians, has been unbelievable, and I did not even think or say what they are mad at. I think all this makes us look pretty dumb, and shows that there's nothing morally special about Christianity here. It proves a point I made elsewhere that when it comes to debates like race, it's mostly all about who you are and your stake in the debate that seems most to matter, and claiming to be Christian is, sadly, really beside the point. Enter the race issue and reason and Christian piety become lonely hermits. Ruben Rivera

• Anonymous says, "What these students did was not intend to hurt or humiliate anyone." So because it wasn't INTENDED to hurt anyone, no one should be offended? F'ed up logic.

• Two words: TED DANSON

• @anonymous- it's people like you that disgust me.to believe that this is not a problem is ignorant. to believe putting cuss words in your commentary gives you more power is idiotic. no we should not be attacking each other during this time but we also cant sweep everything under the rug. if you don't like the issue- the by all means, save us all the trouble and DONT read it.I can not believe you would try and insist WE are the ones who are the devil's puppet simply because we care about how our fellow brothers and sisters in christ are being treated. if you ever decide to pick up a bible try reading ephesians 4:29, and colossians 3:8-10- oh look you just looked those verses up in the hopes you could retaliate. I like that.

• anonymous. do you go to bethel?

• As one of the minimal "persons of color" at Bethel University it isn't fair to attack any individuals for this instance. This isn't the first time this has happened on campus. In actuality, Halloween Bash sponsored by BSA there was a blackface incident in which the kid won the first place prize for costume. Now, the problem as said is institutional. The fact of the matter is this is a perpetuation of what has already happened on this campus and what continues to happen. It is just unfortunate that students report these incidents and not those of sexist, classist, homophobic, agist, xenophobic, and/or hateful and derogatory towards those with disabilities. We MUST create safe environments to talk about these issues. And people NEED to start reporting other issues so their can be change. The history of Bethel and racist incidents along with many other -ism related incidents is unfortunate, ESPECIALLY if it is considered a "christian" university. I don't know that the Jesus I've read would comply with many of these things. Even in that, it is disrespectful to someone's humanity, in any of these cases. So if your outraged... document. Record incidents. Propose solutions. It is such things that lead up to worse case scenarios and the extreme versions of violence. Everything we do affects someone else somehow. I'm sure someone has an argument. Just keep in mind that everyone is at a height of sensitivity and have lost their filters which has led to more hurtful and hateful responses.

• most of you motherfuckers are dumb. And i like that. And now you're even upset that you are cursing while reading this entry. And i like that. i like how most of you are the devil's puppet. stay within his grasp. yeah i know this shit is blown out of proportion cause everyone wants to be right. you are all right and the next step to take now, to hell.

• C, You are correct I am a sexist pig. And you just a little fag

• I'm offended that your offended. Enough of the racism talk, lets talk about sexism! How come there isn't a Ms. BU?? How come no body got offended from the skit making fun of bethel girls?? We were oppressed in the past too! "I love myself I love what I am I love who I is I love Weezy" bethel's new slogan: "I'm offended."

• I'm offended that your offended. Enough of the racism talk, lets talk about sexism! How come there isn't a Ms. BU?? How come no body got offended from the skit making fun of bethel girls?? We were oppressed in the past too! "I love myself I love what I am I love who I is I love Weezy" bethel's new slogan: "I'm offended."

• @ Anonymous - how very telling your Ben Folds quote is. "Bitches aint shit but hoes and trick," who are you referring to in this situation? In general, the words you are chosing are to refer to usually females and usually people of color. So, while I'm pretty sure nothing you said was overly legitimate - anything you would have said would be nullified by the way you chose to close your last post. Even if that wasn't discriminatory against people of color, it was very very sexist.

• I don't think weezy would mind

• I don't think weezy would mind

• W.I.E.S. I stated that the author of this blog did not have a life, you then stated that I did not have a life, thus YOU used the exact same argument as me. You are incredibly unoriginal. I did dissect this issue, and there is not much to dissect. An innocent college aged student made a mistake, his intentions were not malicious or hurtful. In fact his favorite artist is Lil Wayne. Now why would someone go up on stage with the intent of mocking their favorite musician. You know nothing about the issue so I suggest you shut your stupid dumbass. If a black person dressed up as a white person I guarantee there would be no issue. So in the words of my friend Ben Folds, bitches aint shit but hoes and trick. (your the bitch)

• A couple years ago at a halloween party, an african-american student that I know dressed up as a white trash guy. He wore a beater, mullet wig, overalls, complete with a trucker's hat. Although most of the kids at the party were white, he recieved zero complaints about the outfit. Isn't this african-american male portraying a part of white history that not all whites may appreciate? By portraying white trash, many white people could be offended, just as many african-american people could be offended by a part of their history being represented(blackface). My question is - why is it always the white guy who gets the criticism? When african-american individuals cross the line, they are exempt from criticism because of political correctness getting in the way. However, when a white individual steps anywhere near the line (intentional or not), he gets torn apart for being ignorant, intolerant, racist, you name it. Call this apples and oranges, but to me, this seems pretty similar. Having one race a higher standard is unjust. Although there have been horrific events in the past (and still yet today), it is unfair for one race to hold a grudge against the other and have a higher standard for them based off events that happened long before they came into existence. If we want this issue to diminish, than don't make it this big of an issue. It is the people that can't let go of throwing the term racism at people that make this such a big issue. The majority of people would not consider race to be a big issue, so stop making it one by insisting on shoving it down people's throats. And to "another bethel student", real classy. You really showed how grown up you are by throwing in cuss words in sentences that just "couldn't describe your ideas any better." Just a suggestion - put some substance in your posts by including examples. I'm not going to accuse you of being wrong, but back up your broad claims such as: F'ed up society, placing blame on the institution, sheltered little goodie goodie life. How is society F'ed up, what can the institution do that it doesn't already, where had the institution messed up in the past, and why do you encompass the entire student body at bethel as sheltered goodie goodie individuals? By making such generalizations, it is difficult for such claims to be taken seriously, especially with the unnecessary cussing. Trust me, everyone knows how to cuss...It shows more credibility when you can pose an argument or point of view without the use of language. Just my thoughts... And for those of you who think they know what race I am and that I am just another white student getting upset, re-think that. You may be surprised what my race is... Hopefully this comment affirms that it is not only white individuals who feel that we are to move on and not make racism a bigger issue than it is.

• Why Anonymous, I think you nailed it. Everyone who is upset by this incident are indeed sensitive vaginas. While ignoring your pathetic sexist language, I have to wonder what you spend your life doing, apparently it doesn't involve dissecting ANY issue. One may wonder if that is because you and your gaggle of bro-sheep are too busy playing pac-man at The Drink while popping off a few Coronas, or because it's much more fun to hurt and humiliate yourself in the process of writing your reiterative and mind numbing commentary. So my friend, in the words of my friends N*E*R*D, spaz if you want to, but it's about time for a revolution, and we aren't going anywhere.

• Whoever wrote this blog is an uptight prick who obviously has no life. So instead he spends his time dissecting unimportant issues. He is not a competent enough individual to blog about anything important so instead he writes about issues no one gives a flying fuck about. What these students did was not intend to hurt or humiliate anyone. If anyone is upset by what these students did I ask you a simple question. Are you maybe just an oversensitive pussy?

• If you look up black face, there are distinct features portrayed. I didn't see these in the skit at all. This was an innocent skit intended to entertain, and it did. No ill intentions. To call it anything else is wrong. To make this big deal of it is unnecessary. If you want to discuss racism, ignorance, education regarding minority issues or other things brought up in these comments Great... start a new blog somewhere where they can be best seen and effective. I think we've gleaned all we can from this blog. It's time to move on.

• First off, the African American population is way to sensitive to racism, and are way to quick to label people racists. I know, I'm a teacher in a inner city school in New Orleans and I get called a racist every day by one of my students. I tell them to tie their shoes, im a racist. I tell them to finish their homework, im a racist. I tell them to be quiet while others are talking, im a racist. Its almost like their parents or something have brainwashed them to believe that every white person is a white supremacist nazi. So please, in order to conquer racism in our country, you have to stop playing the race card and calling innocent white people racists. It doesn't feel good to get labeled that, and many of us don't give a damn about what color anyone is. Yes, racism still exists, but lay off on the accusations.

• I have literally read everyone of these comments. And I am speechless and heartbroken. Being heavily involved in intercultrual affairs at Bethel all my years there I can see both sides to the story. The student that was impersonating lil wayne i hope you and your friends that are on this blog see this as a teachable moment. I'm not calling him racist if he was ignorant to the fact about the historical connotations with blackface. I live in New Orleans now (where lil wayne is from) and I know for a fact that sadly blackface statues with watermelon smiles are a huge commodity for many tourist that come down here. I remember C. Deyoung told my class one day that he was in a small minnesota town and they were selling the same commodities. The point to this story is, with the more privilege one may have, the more unconcious of whats around them. It hurts for me to say that, but this is a reality. A word of advice for you: If you want to help your friend and make sure an incident does not happen like this in your circle of friends, you must EDUCATE YOURSELVES and not turn your cheek to what is a reality for other people. If your like me and would rather hear someones reality, Bethel has great resource of indivudals on campus that I am positive will take you out to lunch and talk to you about their life story. I am afraid that if this incident happened in anyother place, your friend would have gotten physically hurt (and people wouldn't care or be forgiving if he was ignorant.) Sadly, this is the world we are living in and some people on here that are trying to educate you beyond what happened to your friend are actually trying to help you. To my fellow brothers and sisters that are in the struggle. Without struggle, there is no progress. Continue to hold tight to God in this process. Remember reconcilation is a life long commitment because as you can see from this incident, there are many people that are uninformed on different issue. Get angry (cause even Jesus was angry in the market place), but be constructive and know you are not in this alone. Do not let the anger and frustration overpower what is really at hand: making the kingdom of God more aware and how they can also come beisde their brothers and sisters. Reconciliation is a process as well and goes way beyond color and gender lines. I encourage you to seek in your journey different ways people right next to you that might be in torment and come along side of them.

• Hate the racism, not the ones who perpetuate it.

• "Good old American bullshit" -George Carlin

• Political Correctness will kill our country and university.

• i also understand the possibility that those who read my comments will automatically turn me off because i used language that made their virgin ears bleed. well in this case those words express how i feel. nothing else will do

• and people keep wondering "why doesn't the school make big deals about other things that we don't like?" because those of you who feel this way, don't say shit about it. so when students are passionate about changing these fucked up things about this school, people don't know what to think because we are so damn minnesota nice to not step up and challenge this school to change.

• My goodness. I read essentially every comment, and this a circular conversation that is going nowhere. The debate between intention and the implications of the meaning that follows action is a constant struggle on the level of both the individual and society. Sweeping (and often irrelevant) generalizations were being made in most of the comments, as people attempted to tell others 'what was really going on' or 'why everyone actually does this or that.' We are humans who are limited by a personal and unique perception that is influenced by a seemingly infinite number of complex factors. The number of times the word 'truth' was thrown around was absurd, with the only effective mention being that love must speak the truth (a profound and interesting thought). While I will inevitably sound like a hypocrite as I share my own 'this is how it is' story, I believe that racism is alive and well in the world, especially in the deep south. There is a tension to this day that is palpable to outsiders. Although I do believe that racial inequality exists in terms of opportunities, psychological elements, and other factors, we have an individual choice about whether or not to give everyone we come into contact with a fair chance. This is not to say that race is to be or can be ignored; as humans we are aware of similarities and differences between us, and that is simply a part of our perception. I must admit that I am an ignorant individual who is not nearly as active or aware in social justice as I would like, and that I was unaware of the history behind blackface. However, after reading this article, I looked it up on Wikipedia, and now am aware. All of this ridicule towards people who were unaware of this is irrelevant, because now they do and they will undoubtedly never forget. I think the most disturbing item up here (again, mild hypocrisy on my part as this is potentially a more sweeping generalization than any that have come before) was the fact that the boy had taken Intercultural Communications (Anna's comment). I believe that this is another example of the growing trend of education in the United States as something that is done mainly as a necessary step for even moderate respect (outwardly and inwardly, to some degree) and success, as opposed to because people are really interested. This isn't to say that students are apathetic (and I know it varies person to person, class to class), but there is a much more present attitude of taking classes and doing assignments for grades rather than making connections and applying your newfound knowledge in multiple facets of your life. Whether or not Bethel has the problems people have discussed, I have no idea and would imagine that that is hard to accurately gauge as educational administration is overseen by a variety of busy individuals who have their own opinions and probably many duties (as well as their fair share of disagreements). I don't know enough about Bethel to say anything on this aspect. Although I do believe this has been blown out of proportion, I am glad it has received the publicity that it because now I am aware of an element of our history that I was not before.

• bethel wants to be reconcilers and culturally competent but they don't do shit to show for it. why the fuck should we let this go or try to ignore how serious this is when the school is proclaiming to be striving for a less ignorant campus full of ignorant people. its not about whether or not they mean to be hurtful. but is there a reason why this campus shouldn't be educated about these issues? dumb students say "oh, racism doesn't exist anymore and we need to put it in the past". where the hell are you from. look at how big of an issue it is alone to have a black president. anyone that has blood flowing to their head should know racism still exists. so people can play this off if they want to, fuck it, we don't need students like that, we need students who will accept reality and not try to live in their sheltered little goodie goodie life. be real students, not just in God, but in this real world we live in. stop trying to ignore the hurtful things that have been done because of how we have made this fucked up society function. so don't try to pass this off as nothing, because most of us students that have been here for more than 1 damn year know that this type of shit goes down annually and this institution doesn't do nothin about it. so how can this school be a place for reconciliation and diversity, if this institution is blindly functioning as a fucked up racists, sexists, homophobic place

• what are other universities doing to educate about racism? are they really doing something? this seems like a big question that hasnt been asked yet?

• I just want to say that I think this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. This story should never have been taken to the star tribune and I think that David Kim is proud, not because he is spreading light to this story, but that he got his name in the paper. This has been made quite evident by how many times he's been posting the link to it on his facebook wall. This is what angers me the most. If people had a problem with the performance, why not try talking to those that did it? I'm sure they would be happy to explain themselves. Also, it was approved by people to be presented at the show. If this was so offensive why didnt anyone try to stop it before it happened? The boys involved with this are in no way racist and it saddens me that people are so quick to be casting judgement and blame on them. I for one have never heard of the term blackface. Sorry if this upsets anyone but just because I have not heard of this term does not make me racist nor ignorant. So to whoever posted that every college student has heard of this term, thats not true. I am a huge fan of lil wayne and I dont think that impersonating him should be made into an attack on the entire black community. The boys weren't trying to offend anyone and its too bad that people are twisting it to be that way.

• I will say only that I to believe that the actions of the students involved were, although admittedly stupid, completely innocent in nature. Beyond this I am with those posters who have been calling out double standards. Any double standard is itself a perpetuation of racism because it implicitly affirms that there is a perceived gap between the people involved. I too hope that we can soon live in a world where the color of a persons skin is truly irrelevant to our conceptions of them. I believe that we should be judged only OUR (sorry for the caps) hearts and actions, not by our race not by the actions of our predecessors.

• first of all for those of you who weren't there i was. i saw it first hand. there was absolutely no malicious intent what so ever. second this individual was impersonating an artists popular song and the way he looked. he was not in anyway making fun of the black race. he wasn't even aware of what black face was! and we are in 2010 that was a long time ago where this racism in these shows took place. of course people don't know! why are we being encouraged to focus on the past, that in itself will stir up hurt feelings. i understand that it was a big deal back then but especially in this instance it is irrelevant!!! Bethel University is not in anyway racist, it was just a funny skit,meant to be just that... funny! people are just pushing this because people love to complain and especially love to ridicule a prominently white christian campus. this is potentially juicy stuff that papers are going to twist the truth especially when getting their info from second hand sources. the papers have no idea. the star tribune got their information from a second hand source! i was there i saw it. people need to calm down and just forgive. these guys have apologized now why cant we forgive them???

• First off, people are ridiculous and need to relax, these guys had no intention of hurting someone, they did absolutely nothing wrong, if you can't see this as a skit or as a fun playful thing you have a problem. The did a song and twisted a few words, to accuse them of these hateful things is RIDICULOUS!!!!!! And for it to be white students who view themselves higher than the rest of us on campus is not shocking it usually works that way. MORAL OF THE STORY NONE OF US WERE AROUND WHEN RACISM WAS IN FULL SWING, ITS OVER DONE WITH AND IN ALL ACTUALITY MINORITIES GET THE MORE BENIFITS NOWADAYS WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTIONS SUCH AS GRAD SCHOOLS...ECT...SO STOP PLAYING THE DAMN CARD AND GET OVER IT!

• What has the world come to? This is an article on the star tribune? If you don't like the president your racist, if you don't want to protect our nations borders your a racist, and if you paint your face black to imitate your favorite rapper your a racist? HOLY SHIT....WHY IS EVERYTHING RELATED TO RACE? I don't care about race, not many people do anymore...but this article is creating a delusion like we are back in MLK's days when racism was rampant. Its almost like some minorities are creating this illusion of a barrier between races that is only visible to themselves. Everyone else is trying to move on and be united as people, but minorities insist that we are different, and racism arises once again. Articles like this anger the people getting accused as much as it angers the African American people which only separates us more. The kids meant no harm, don't be so sensitive, forgive them and move on. I can understand it being hurtful if we lived in the 1850's but cmon, its 2010. Our country has moved on

• I do believe what happened was hurtful. I am sorry that students at our school feel that way. Yes, I do believe what happened was ignorant but then again I guess I will admit that I am ignorant too because I had absolutely no idea what "blackface" was until this incident. We claim to be a school of reconcilers yet we are not educated on what might be hurtful to others. I feel like if Bethel is trying to be a school of reconciliation they should back it up with educating us. being a part of this generation and not seeing the racism that happened in the past it is not possible for me to understand exactly what that must've been like but ever since I was five singing �Jesus loves all the children of the world� I have never viewed myself as being better than anyone in my mind all people are created beautifully in the image of God. I know my fellow Bethel students feel the same way. As a Christ follower I try to show love to everyone and I would hope you all would remember that. Some of these comments are harsh and nasty and I know it is easy to get caught up in banter especially when this issue is very frustrating for me too. I know these boys who did the skit personally and I know that they did not mean for people�s feelings to be hurt and they did not know what they were doing was offensive. Call it ignorant yes but I also believe that there are a lot of injustices in the world past and present that we are all unaware of so instead of pointing the finger and blaming these boys for being "racist" (which I know they are not!). Maybe we could all take their heartfelt apologies and show them mercy like we are called to as fellow followers of Christ. And for all those that were hurt by the incident I am very sorry for that and I really hope Bethel does make some changes to improve our awareness on issues. I think it is time that people forgive and start becoming informed. And for everyone who is not a part of Bethels community, you were not there and you do not know the full story. Media can put some nasty spins on things. And yes there have been some racial intentional injustices (this one being unintentional) that have happened on our campus and there will continue to be because no one is perfect. All people need Gods grace and forgiveness cause we all screw up. Whether it�s making judgments about people on their race or gossiping about the girl who sits next to you in class. No one is perfect and I hope we all can move past this with a better perspective and knowledge for the future.

• @In him are you kidding me? Your post was so disgusting and biased it makes me sick. Your a race card player that shouts and screams racism at the drop of a pin. "And if you choose to brush a minority's story of hardship off then that's you." Brush off? I went to college to learn mechanical engineering, not about blackface. Ive never heard of it till this ridiculous article popped up. I even took a martin luther king jr. class about racism while at school and still never heard of it. I realize that racism is a sensitive issue to some, but please....don't over react to something so diminutive. We all learned in school that racism existed and was a serious issue our country, but we are trying to make that history while you keep manifesting it. Like dan said, we need to move on and forget what colors we all are and live together as human beings.

• @ Dan your exactly right!

• Wow...this is completely blown out of proportion. The people calling these kids racists are a bunch of morons. How can it be racism if they had no idea that blackface preexisted in society? Thats like saying a 8 year old kid who paints his face black and dresses up as Lil Wayne for Halloween in racist. These college kids are still young adults and learning the history of America. If they intentionally did this because they didn't like lil wayne then this should be looked at differently. They obviously love his music and feel sorry for what they did and if they hurt anyone. Yes, they should get talked to and told what they are doing inst right, but to proclaim arrogance and racism is just moronic. People who are criticizing them please get a life and stop bringing up racism and feeling sorry for yourselves. Move on and forget what colors we all are live together without constantly bringing up our differences.

• Wow, I'm glad BLOW ME has bought into the lie that "minorities get the more benefits nowadays when it comes to selections such as grad schools..." and whatver "ect" stands for. We are finally reaping some of the benefits that have been long due. Just because we reap some benefits, and you don't like it, don't get mad cause now it seems as if you aren't still receiving these same benefits. Racism is still in swing and it does not come in the same form and in the same fashion it did then, but unless you are a minority you cannot claim that racism doesn't exist. You might want to believe that you are not, and you may not be, but you and I have prejudice in our hearts that play out in little ways-and these little ways eventually lead actions that will hurt, even if unintentional. Maybe the guys' didn't think they would hurt anyone by getting laughs from the audience, but the fact still remains that they did. And I hope that their hearts have not become bitter after public criticism. And just as we should not just point the fingers at them for their behavior, no one should be pointing fingers cause that gesture does not invite honest dialogue, rather, it perpetuates the status quo and everyone retreats to their comfort zones, carrying on their closed conversations that will get nowhere. And Bethel all together is not an all bad institution. There are programs and classes and spring break trips that are accessible to all students. But not everyone is interested in learning about the history and struggles of our ountry. So while the school system has filtered out many aspects of our N. American history, we are old enough to make decisions for ourselves. And if you choose to brush a minority's story of hardship off then that's you. You can choose to engage in activities and relationships that do not challenge or stretch your existing belief system because it's "too hard" but that is unfair to you, to those around you and those who are to come after you. What has happened is a teachable moment, but not everyone is willing and open to learn. Not all persons in higher academics is committed to learning. That's just the sad truth.

• Blackface was definitely a horrible act in America's past. But, I think now days no one would do that to hurt another race. I mean, I suppose extremists still would, but most likely not college students. Especially when impersonating Lil Wayne. I don't think they should have done the skit by any means, and the fact that they haven't heard of blackface is sad. It's like saying they live in their own little whites only, suburban bubbles. And ignorance has never been a good excuse for anything, ever. But I don't think they meant to hurt anyone, and I also think people are a little too sensitive. I mean, it's all about intention. It's like saying something sarcastically and genuinely; you said the exact same thing, but you meant it in a different way. People who try to point out every racist act in the media are rather �holier than thou� (as in, all of us have thought/said/did something racist before) and probably unhappy in general. The best way to get decrease racism around us is to love one another and seek equality through changing laws. Celebrating our differences. Not reacting so harshly and negatively toward everything we disagree with in life. The change starts with each of us. P.s. TYPING IN ALL CAPS is really unattractive and abrasive. You should probably stop that.

• the worst part is this is what many profs conversations are about rather than just forgivness

• Thank you for such stimulating and mature conversations. I am happy we can all be adults and blog in such ways that articulate and appreciate our humanity.

• @ blow Me Did you forget about professors who actually lived during the Civil rights movement? What does that mean about them? Racism is a systemic and institutional thing and still exists today.

• First off, people are ridiculous and need to relax, these guys had no intention of hurting someone, they did absolutely nothing wrong, if you can't see this as a skit or as a fun playful thing you have a problem. The did a song and twisted a few words, to accuse them of these hateful things is RIDICULOUS!!!!!! And for it to be white students who view themselves higher than the rest of us on campus is not shocking it usually works that way. MORAL OF THE STORY NONE OF US WERE AROUND WHEN RACISM WAS IN FULL SWING, ITS OVER DONE WITH AND IN ALL ACTUALITY MINORITIES GET THE MORE BENIFITS NOWADAYS WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTIONS SUCH AS GRAD SCHOOLS...ECT...SO STOP PLAYING THE DAMN CARD AND GET OVER IT!

• This is a mole hill that is being turned into a mountain. There is always somebody that just HAS to turn something like this into a big deal - it's not a big deal. It was a skit, somebody dressed up as someone of another race - WHO CARES???? It's called imitation, and guess what, it's part of the world around us in case you haven't noticed

• Like many people have said i also have heard very little about blackface and i understand that it may be a sensitive issue but my issue is that these kids that were apart of this in no way were trying to be racist or to hurt anyone and they said sorry. I know these boys and they feel awful that they hurt anyone and would never do this again. They learned from their mistakes isn't this what is really important? And also something not many people have talked about is the fact that their act was approved by the MR BU committee but yet all the fault has been poured onto them, they are blammed by people of the committee for doing this even though they were the same people who said it was ok for them to do. To me this does not make sense. we talk about reconciliation so much here at bethel that all i hear is to love the people that are different than us. Whats wrong with this to me is although their skin is a different color are they really different? No, they are men and women made in Gods image just like you or me. Yes Bethel may have trouble in this area but in order to get past what has happened in the past we have to look forward to the future and need to stop bringing up the past its hurtful understandable soo and we need to get past this awful time in our history in order to move onto a time where hopefully there will be a place were the people of all races, religions and, sexual orientations will be considered equal and we can interact with them the way god intended

• Whoever wrote this post is a fucking retard. Its not as big of a deal as you are making it out to be. Ima nigger and I dont care!! Stop being over sensitive you liberal fuck.

• http://niv.scripturetext.com/matthew/18.htm Matthew 18:15-17. What you should do if a brother sins against you. This obviously wasn't followed very well. First, show him (or her) his (or her) fault, just between the two of you. Now, I know some will want to say that this is different, but think about how it might have gone if the offended had followed Jesus' suggestion here. The main disappointment for me is in how Bethel as an institution, and the Bethel student body have treated the incident.

• Ashley dear, I just wanna let you know that tomorrow before i leave for class I'm going to do ample research to make sure that the pink shirt i'm considering wearing does not have a racial injustice associated with it. You are absolutely ridiculous! I very much appreciate that some people were offended by this, however i find it to be equally important that the people that were offended recognize that the majority of people are unaware of the history behind this action. I sincerely doubt there was any racism going on. Quite frankly it is people that are overly sensitive about issues like these that keep racism around. Half of the population thought nothing of what went on. I for one am Irish and it offends and upsets me that so many people are under the impression that st.patrick's day is about drinking. There is historical meaning behind the holiday. But I don't bitch about how people are calling my ancestors drunks and twisting things around. I simply use it as an opportunity to tell people the reality. I don't need to get upset about it, it's just a matter of educating people. A simple conversation. I find it almost comical that people scream racism over an impersonation. Let me ask you this, would you be upset if a black person painted their face white? My guess is no. I can't tell you how diverse my high school was...i was the minority as an irish/german white girl. The thing i appreciated most was the lack of over sensitive students. I learned so much and was able to develop such a deeper understanding of other cultures through these conversations. Many of which were sparked by actions that might have been considered offensive. If we're going to be so ridiculously sensitive about african americans, we must do so for asians, whites, latinos, EVERYONE! I just cannot believe how out of proportions this ideal is being twisted into. And can i also how how absolutely sick it makes me that someone would compare a celebrity impersonation to something as serious as someone painting their face black with a noose around their neck and a kkk symbol. Is that a Joke?

• "an expression of deliberate and unconscious racism in America" ... How can something be deliberate and unconscious at the same time. If you are unaware of it you obviously are not being deliberate about it. Sounds like this prof is just trying to sound intelligent by adding pretty words together. And choosing THIS incident on top of all the things in the passed as mentioned before is just stupid. Like the other act against women. Women are not important I guess. Nor are middle easterns. They praise Allah not Jesus so they don't matter either. That was sarcasm by the way. And to all you trying to sound elite like everyone should be born withthe knowledge of blackface, it was used in theater... So unless someone studied theater history or specifically blackface they wouldn't know about it. Just because you do, doesn't make it an "obvious" thing people are born with the knowledge of. Maybe you should look at how many people actually know about blackface anymore being that it was used far in the passed. And schools are more focused on Rosa parks and Harriet Tubman.

• Ashley- There is an idea called "color blind" that many of your arguments echo. I'm a white student and a Reconciliation studies major, and I do think there's a better way of going about it than being "intellecually elite". But please consider, after a few years of reading about color blind racism, there's going to be alot of things there to talk about. There's ample indicators for this color blind mentality, and as we start to recognize it, there is a different way of looking at the world. But also realize that you too have a way of looking at the world... is it really as "neutral" or "normal" as you think? Everyone has a personal journey in realizing how they're socialized: especially white people who have grown up in predominately white neighborhoods that are subconsiously connected to "safety" or "comfort". I can personally say that this is hard and is often awkward, but will always be worth it. I'm sure that the "elite" white students would be happy to discuss things further if someone not aware of the issues would try to let their guard down and be open to a converstaion. For one, that's how we can actually establish new relationships, but it would also be very appreciated if you gave it a try. In my own conversations I actually don't feel "intellectual" enough, since arguments are always trying to get a one-up. Your not the only one that feels that way. We do have the choice to stop this cycle. For you, please give it a try. For me, I will be concious of how to approach the conversation of racism and not word-vomit everything at once. Also, the previous Bethel events that have been offensive have had ample conversation and ample feelings have been hurt. This has been bubbling and accumulating, but a mentality of "its fine" is most predominant on Bethel's campus, and therefore shuts out many converstaions, either exhausing those hurt or postponing it until they graduate. Reconciliation at Bethel has alot of work to do, but that's why we must do it. Digging into the struggle can only make us more human. If you do want to be open to the conversation, here's a start: http://www.tributetoblackwomen.com/poems/colorblind.htm

• I don't think it's fair to say that Bethel is simply blowing over this issue. As others have mentioned, it is somewhat of a heated discussion on campus, and as they have done with similar situations in the past (which have been enumerated in a previous post), Bethel is trying to address the issue publicly and prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. I would argue that this sort of thing happens on every college campus- I know of racist and sexist behavior, as well as discriminatory behavior towards GLBTs, in public and private schools alike. The interesting thing is that this particular incident WASN'T an act of discrimination. It may have been percieved as racist, but I hope that those offended by this particular incident can accept the apologies of those involved for their lack of understanding of a sensitive issue. I was also unaware of the history of blackface, but have been informed because of this incident.

• Thank you Chris for bringing some Truth into this argument. Let's just go with the assumption that the painting of the face was wrong, I think most people would agree with that. The real issue then is what is to be done about It? Should we drag these students under the bus because thy made a mistake or should we use this as a learning oportunity. The students are trying to take the necessary steps to reconcile with those that they have hurt, let's not drag their name into the mud then. Let's decide together how we can change and educate people. Deviciveness will solve nothing. We can only come to a solution through love, genuine Christ like love. We must try to understand both sides of the issue and stop blaming and fighting eachother because that is just what the devil wants.

• Historical knowledge isn't going to heal the wounds of racism. Cultural awareness isn't going to bridge the gap. FRIENDSHIP WILL. LOVE WILL. Thats why I believe, before this event and the community's response to it, the person that now has a target on his back was a model for the type of love and friendship that is LITERALLY color-blind. 1) The student is heavily involved in the hip-hop industry (dominated by african americans), producing his own music and performing alongside African American friends. 2) His favorite artist is Lil Wayne, a man he respects for his musical talent. The person he dressed up as, supposedly out of disrespect and mocking, was ironically Lil Wayne. I am not excusing his cultural ignorance, and not down-playing the hurt that this incident caused. Much has been said on both of those, maybe too much on the former and not enough on the latter. What I am talking about is a new approach to racial reconciliation that doesn't emphasize the regretful history of race relations but looks forward to a time when society is so racially reconciled that old wounds have lost their sting. Is it reasonable to hope for a time when racial healing is so complete that actions aren't judged by the history surrounding them but by the spirit of their intent? To me, that would be the essence of racial reconciliation. 1 Samuel 16:7 - "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

• J, Kelly: Yes, please, let's do that. However, love has more than one dimension. Love is not always nice, it is not always polite. Love must speak the truth: this can be done frankly or with a heavy sugarcoat. In this case, I think the students have heard plenty of opinions on what's wrong with their actions, and I seriously doubt they'd consider doing something like this again without a lot of deliberation. But we cannot let this stop here. The students are not the only ones at fault: partly, they have failed in not knowing this, partly the university has failed in not educating them. The students should have been able to make smarter choices, the university should have reinforced that fact and those choices. But it didn't, and we must now (in love) speak the truth to Bethel. People need to care about this, because if they don't then this and every other race/gender/transgender/fill in the blank discriminatory or offensive issue will be brushed over in the exact same way as Bethel is trying to brush this one over. They just want to look good and appear to be doing the right thing. It will take people like us speaking out against that facade for things to change.

• J: AMEN TO THAT!!

• LOVE OTHERS. MOVE FORWARD. THE END.

• I LOVE LiL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is da man!!!!!!!!!

• M- Yes I agree. It is not about the students because they understand what they did now and are working to learn more about it. It is the school that needs to be blamed for failing to ever teach about these issues. I agree with you. I am just saddened at all the attacks against these particular students. If anything people should be attacking Bethel. Like you said, Bethel did not prepare them.

• Well said, G

• Again, to Drew, Cody, Makena, G: the issue is not the specific students involved, nor their intentions, etc. The issue is that they were not properly equipped, even as seniors, by the university they're paying through the nose for to make intelligent choices, especially since this university claims to be a reconciling place. Personally, I'm not criticizing the students here: I think they've probably grasped by now the issues with their performance, and I'm not interested in crucifying them. But I do think that Bethel needs to examine how it's preparing (or not preparing) students to act and engage with the real world, outside of the "Bethel Bubble". Sure, hate on the students, but that's not the real issue. They're human and we all make mistakes, I think we can all affirm that. The issue is that Bethel did not prepare them, and Bethel probably does not care. They're more interested in keeping things comfortable in order to keep the donors comfortable. It's really just all about money, in the end.

• I guess I don't understand how people who were offended by the incident, who DO NOT KNOW THOSE IN THE SKIT NOR ATTENDED THE SKIT can actually dare to assume they know the intentions of those in the skit, dare to assume they know what they have/have not learned, dare to call them unconscious racists and dare to judge the character of the men who were in the skit. As a student at Bethel, I can assure you that there is far more hate towards the men in the skit than was ever portrayed in the skit itself. I am personally embarrassed to be a part of a campus that is literally dividing because of this incident. Ironic how those who are fighting for reconciliation in the situation are the ones causing the division and hateful words towards the men who performed.

• I had never heard of blackface before this incident. Sue me.

• Chris- You said it best. This is what it all comes down to: "Unless you were at the event, know the students involved, and know the atmosphere of reconciliation at Bethel then it is hard for me to engage in discussion with you." 90% of the people that are enraged by this WERE NOT EVEN THERE. They just hear of some racial issue and get all uppity about it. And Drew- same thing man. I went to a diverse public school but never heard about black face either.

• @fluffy As far as bethel universities reconciliation and education of these matters go, I think it is unfair to blame a whole institution for the actions of a few people throughout the institutions history. People have their own beliefs and no matter how much someone tries to educate them, it doesn't mean they will listen. Just because people did these things on bethel campus, doesn't mean it's the campuses fault. Does this just happen at bethel? No. This happens at universities everywhere, just because we are a Christian university, we are being targeted as failing. But since when do the actions of one person represent the sentiment of the whole university?

• So, I go to Bethel and am a black student who happens to have white parents. First of the guy has taken Intercultural Communication class. NO WAY was he ignorant of the fact that this could possibly be offensive. Yes I know he didn't mean to offend anyone but just because you don't mean to offend someone doesn't mean that they don't get hurt.

• @John Peitzman Really Mr. "hey i'm john and i go to the best school in the country- bethel university. enough said"? This sense of entitlement is the fundamental problem. The hoards of Bethel students trying to either a) defend the kid's actions or b) downplay the significance of what was - even on a common sense level, a stupid thing to do - are only reinforcing the ignorance being portrayed at the school. Let me explain why, John. You cite that in talking to dozens of students about the issue, it's caused the student population to "feel as though every time they address a minority now, they have to constantly be concerned about coming off the wrong way." No kiddin'. And why should a person have to think about how to "address a minority?" Oh, I know - you already answered that. It's so that you can avoid the perception that "everything us white people do is meant to be offensive," right? Again, "US white people." Yes, you white people who go to prestigious schools sure have endured a lot. I'm amazed you've maintained such a level head and become a heroic bridger of gaps. Since you don't know my race, I'll do you a favor - I'm one of YOU white people, so you won't need to worry about offending me ;-) Thank god I went to a liberal college, and I mean that with no hint of irony.

• @Chris Lund: The issue is not whether the students were ignorant. The mere fact is that they were, and that is unfortunate. It obviously does matter that they were uneducated about the history of blackface. But the implications of this are far greater than the fact that they just 'didn't know'. They were seniors, supposedly prepared to go into the world able to carry themselves and make intelligent choices. I don't think anyone would say doing this was the best choice. The sad part is that Bethel is not preparing students to be able to make these choices. The other issue here is that their skit was approved by the SA Committee that put on the event significantly prior to the actual performance. Those committee members aren't taking any heat for making the exact same decision as the students in the skit: "This is a good, clean, funny idea, with no significant drawbacks." And I am a Bethel student, and certainly understand the "Reconciliation atmosphere" here. It's most unfortunate, in many ways.

• I completely agree with you Deeds. Yes, they should have known about blackface, but they didn't. Period. That fact does matter and does need to be taken into account. How can an individual be blamed for something they didn't know about? I grew up going to Minneapolis Public schools and I can honestly say I don't recall ever having heard of blackface. The fact that so many people don't know about that says something. The hate needs to stop. There is FAR more stereotyping, judgment, and hate in some of these responses then there EVER was in the act itself. These men have hearts of gold and it's not fair to respond like this. If we're talking about reconciliation, let's show these guys some grace. Thankfully, God is the only one who can judge their hearts, and he is someone who knows mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

• meant to say "don't tell me the students' hearts and whether or not they were oblivious to blackface history DOESN'T matter"

• This situation is so much more complex than some of you are approaching it as... Unless you were at the event, know the students involved, and know the atmosphere of reconciliation at Bethel then it is hard for me to engage in discussion with you. Simple approaches to complex problems have been the cause for many useless and divisive arguments... And DON'T FOR A SECOND TRY TO TELL ME that the students' hearts and whether or not they were oblivious to blackface history matters... that is grossly unfair, and if you were backed into a similar corner as they are, you would expect the same right.

• DEEDS response is the most appropriate.

• Yes Mr. Devon it would be racist if a black person wore white face, due to the fact that it would only be done in order to mock a white person. That is where you are missing the point here. The fact is you didn't see a black person mocking a white person, you saw a white person mock a black person who is in prison on gun chargers. Not a great example to go and display.

• http://www.bethel.edu/about-bu/reconciliation/art.html and some more....

• http://www.bethel.edu/publications/tapestry/2007/spring/arc-5yrs Ill provide more later Mr. Marty. :)

• DEEDS RULES

• The issue is not that the students had good intentions. Any college student should be well-educated enough to look at the situation and ask themselves "Is this a good idea in the first place?" Any reasonable person could probably guess not. But just in case, what if these students were at a school in which they were the minority? Would this still be a good idea? Absolutely not. The issue is not simply that these students were ignorant, it's that the institution did not prepare them (we're talking about seniors here) to be able to make good judgment calls on issues like this. Who honestly thinks this would be a great idea? The reason that Bethel students are tired of hearing about this is that they go to Bethel to be comfortable. They don't want to be challenged, they don't want to have to deal with issues like this. That's why they want the higher-ups to smooth the whole thing over, shush the people complaining about it, and move on with their lives. The reality is that there are a select few Bethel students who are tired of the institution. Bethel's repetitive "Reconciliation" bullshit is not backed up with actions: it's simply a facade. Catalogs advertising the school mainly feature non-white students and their testimonials, etc., regardless of the fact that the student body is probably 95% white and barely 40% male (where's the Mrs. BU competition?). When the students at Bethel are ready to stand up for themselves, show that this is an issue that they care about (as it's something that will effect everyone sooner or later), and take a stand against the rhetoric of the institution: that's when change can begin. But otherwise, nearly every BU student who is sick of this debate chooses to turn away, to accept their white privilege (we all have it whether we like it or not: the fact that whites can CHOOSE to turn away, can CHOOSE to ignore the situation, when it's a lived history and reality for non-whites). Nothing will change until the students want it to. That starts small, but it must start.

• The issue is not that the students had good intentions. Any college student should be well-educated enough to look at the situation and ask themselves "Is this a good idea in the first place?" Any reasonable person could probably guess not. But just in case, what if these students were at a school in which they were the minority? Would this still be a good idea? Absolutely not. The issue is not simply that these students were ignorant, it's that the institution did not prepare them (we're talking about seniors here) to be able to make good judgment calls on issues like this. Who honestly thinks this would be a great idea? The reason that Bethel students are tired of hearing about this is that they go to Bethel to be comfortable. They don't want to be challenged, they don't want to have to deal with issues like this. That's why they want the higher-ups to smooth the whole thing over, shush the people complaining about it, and move on with their lives. The reality is that there are a select few Bethel students who are tired of the institution. Bethel's repetitive "Reconciliation" bullshit is not backed up with actions: it's simply a facade. Catalogs advertising the school mainly feature non-white students and their testimonials, etc., regardless of the fact that the student body is probably 95% white and barely 40% male (where's the Mrs. BU competition?). When the students at Bethel are ready to stand up for themselves, show that this is an issue that they care about (as it's something that will effect everyone sooner or later), and take a stand against the rhetoric of the institution: that's when change can begin. But otherwise, nearly every BU student who is sick of this debate chooses to turn away, to accept their white privilege (we all have it whether we like it or not: the fact that whites can CHOOSE to turn away, can CHOOSE to ignore the situation, when it's a lived history and reality for non-whites). Nothing will change until the students want it to. That starts small, but it must start.

• Bethel is a failure? Because a white male stood on stage and pretended to be one of his favorite celebrities, who happens to be black? Really? This kid's intention was clearly not to insult or offend anyone. If anything he was praising this artist's work. The bit was actually making fun of church choirs if anything. There are so many people on here making judgments about a group of guys they don't even know, and an event they didn't even attend. You all have done a good enough job of hurting those involved in this situation. I'm sure next time they have an opportunity to dress up like someone they think is cool they will think twice.

• @Fluffy: I hate to break it to you, but not even all your facts are right. You can't trust everything you read and things you here by ear. I am in no means trying to talk down to anyone, but merely stating a fact. It goes out to everyone in this thread. Don't let rumors distract us from what is actually wrong here. If you want to know what that is, read my earlier post.

• I believe this "black face" labeling is incorrect and undeservedly hurtful itself. I'm wondering if any of you commenting negatively actually saw the performance? I did. There were no baggy pants, no gold teeth, nothing derogatory, and the face was not painted as a black face performer would be...it was colored with a brown marker. My point being that the only intent here was to entertain as Lil' Wayne. Someone this student likes! As far as the excuse of not knowing about black face being unacceptable... what other excuse can you use,if you didn't know about it. I have to say at 40+ yrs of age, I honestly hadn't. Being uneducated in black history doesn't make you a racist, but it can leave you vulnerable to unintentionally hurt someone, as we see here. If he would have painted a black circle on his face, leaving the lips pink and exaggerated as the definition describes then we would have something to talk about, and I believe "that" would have felt inappropriate to them. That's not the case. This was in no way intended to be a black face performance. It's highly unfortunate that the facts have not been presented correctly regarding this performance. The incorrect information has taken a fun evening and made it into a racial incident. If you knew these young men performing you would know their hearts. They would never intentionally hurt someone or group of people. They are kind, loving and Christ centered. Granted their not perfect, none of us are. I think we all need to take a step back, look at the hearts of the students involved, look at the performance for what is was meant, and look at the learning opportunity that has been presented for all ages. Accept their sincere apology and move forward. I know Bethel is a Christ centered school. Teaching the ways of Christ as well as providing a great education. There is always room for improvement in any situation. This enlightenment could turn out to be a blessing if we can move from negative to positive! Let's continue to pray for healing on every level.

• I would like to start by saying that the person or people informaing the writer of this article are misrepresenting the performer and falsely accusing him. Although he WAS wearing dreadlocks, he did not have gold teeth or baggy pants. He wore black dress slacks with a white dress shirt. So if you're going to accuse him, don't stretch the truth. False information is how individuals lose credibility very fast. Choose your battles people. By raising this much of an issue, this whole thing has far more students confused and frustrated why this is brought to this extreme than students upset about the actual event. Honestly, is it really worth it? By raising such a complaint about an event that was not meant to be harmful, is it worth it for students and faculty to potentially have worse impressions of minorities than their previous great impressions? By exaggerating, false representing and stretching things this far, it has almost backfired within the Bethel community. As students walk through the halls, this event is the main talk. Although this raises awareness of how sensative we must be to racial issues, this only makes matters worse in a lot of cases. Let me explain why. I have talked to dozens of students about this and have heard numerous times that they feel as though every time they address a minority now, they have to constantly be concerned about coming off the wrong way. Is that really what we want? Do we want the kind of relationships where we have to worry about each movement we make or every word that comes out of our mouth, or do we want genuine relationships where we don't even think about peoples' races or notice them because our relationships are built on love? I would think it would be much better to build relationships where we didn't have to be shaking in our boots, worrying about doing something wrong. Each time an incident like this gets raised to this magnitude, this scares away many white people from interacting with minorities more times than not, simply because they're scared they might offend them. Think about it people. I'm all about bridging the gap and reconciling, which is why I'm writing this on here. Don't create worse issues out of little events that were meant to be harmless. Pick your battles and remember that not everything us white people do is meant to be offensive in any way.

• @old person It is acceptable because he actually dyed his skin pigment. Wait... what is that you say? He actually didn't? That was acting too? Well - now I need to be offended!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeixtYS-P3s Or Morgan Freeman

• Robert Downey Junior did it in Tropic Thunder.

• I think the board of regents at Bethel needs to invite Harry Connick Jr. to come speak at the school. http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/08/harry.connick.blackface/index.html Plus, maybe we can convince him to dust off some of those 'She' songs.

• Would all the Bethel kids please stop trying to justify it? It was racist. Unintentional, but people were offended, and it was a stupid thing to do. Own up to it, and quit making excuses. Why any white person would ever think it a good idea to paint their face brown and parade it onstage in front of a school that is 95% white is beyond me.

• Would all the Bethel kids please stop trying to justify it? It was racist. Unintentional, but people were offended, and it was a stupid thing to do. Own up to it, and quit making excuses. Why any white person would ever think it a good idea to paint their face brown and parade it onstage in front of a school that is 95% white is beyond me.

• Periodista, People dress up all the time. This was a SKIT. they were ACTING. This happens in theater all the time. Your argument proves the difference you believe exists between races. In the skit, many people dressed up as people they were not... however this was not offensive just because it did not mimic race? People often dress up as elderly people in performance... one could call that ageism. People often dress up as the opposite sex during perfomance... one could called that sexism. There was a performance earlier this year when people dressed up as Arabics and performed an Arabic dance. This group was actually trying to impersonate a general RACE when the performer in this case was dressing up as an individual, Lil Wayne. Why should African American's be the only race that receives sensitivity in this manner.

• In this day and age you'd have to be pretty unenlightened and just plain dense to *not* know blackface is offensive. And even if these students had no clue that it was offensive, in what universe is it a good idea to paint your face black to mimic a person of color? Did they paint their faces red for skits involving Native Americans? Brown for Hispanics? Yellow for Asians? WCWJPF? (What Color Would Jesus Paint His Face?)

• What I gather from this situation is how much of an epic fail Bethel (as an institution) is in the area of reconciliation. In my opinion, BU has, in this situation, put reconciliation above the importance of having a Christlike approach and attitude. BU clearly was involved heavily in the writing of the apology (which just served to make it sound extremely fabricated).

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