Southern Miss issues apology for band's derogatory chant at NCAA tournament
updated 1:59 AM EDT, Fri March 16, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The incident was captured by television cameras
- "We deeply regret the remarks made by a few students," school president says
- Kansas State beat Southern Miss 70-64
(CNN) -- A university president apologized after members of a school's band yelled "where's your green card" at a Hispanic player during a NCAA basketball tournament game Thursday.
The incident was captured by television cameras and occurred during the Southern Miss and Kansas State game at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
As Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez shot free throws, several people can clearly be heard saying the green card chant.
Angel Rodriguez was subjected to a derogatory chant by members of the Southern Miss band during the NCAA tournament.
Rodriguez did not change his expression during the chants and helped push Kansas State to a victory by scoring 13 points.
Winning is the best revenge.
ReplyDeletePrecisely.
DeleteSome days when I read the news, I think it's 1962, not 2012.
ReplyDeleteEnglishDoc, I agree. I was talking with my students last night about social norms, and they happily said they didn't think prejudice still existed. What nice, sheltered lives they must lead. It prompted me to share with them the many disapproving (and sometimes vicious) looks my husband and I receive on a fairly normal basis, and especially when on Spring Break in the Deep South (he's white, I'm not). They were just shocked that it still occurred. Perhaps this is a function of their race; the students at this particularly university are predominantly white (out of 120 students I have this semester, 5 aren't white, and that is fairly consistent across the years I've taught there). As my husband would say, as a "white dude" he hasn't ever had to deal with much discrimination, so he doesn't usually notice it; as a biracial woman I don't really have that luxury.
ReplyDeleteChloe, I was one of those students. I was raised in an almost exclusively white neighborhood. My parents taught me to treat people without regard for their appearance. Your students may be the same - meaning well but ignorant of how other people, who might look similar to them, actually treat those who appear different. Stories like this illuminate the real world for them.
DeleteChloe, it depends on where you are in the country. There's always someone who is the bottom of the hierarchy; and in places that are completely homogeneous, the prejudice then switches to class or "pedigree" differences. Where I'm from, even highly educated professionals, when their tongues are loosened by an alcoholic drink or two ("truth serum"), seem much more inclined to talk about Drunk Fighting Tax-Cheat Welfare Bum Homeless Drug Addict Felon No-Good Dirty Indians anytime social hour discussion gets around to the latest headline dealing with aboriginal issues.
ReplyDelete