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I think after the incident in Jena and so on, the country is very sensitive to this sort of thing. Recently, a student at our university led an effort to "black out Reser" (our stadium) during a football game by encouraging students to paint themselves black. The student paper printed an article about it three days before the game, yet no one made the connection to blackface until after the fact. I can't say I blame them for not making the connection; we've done such a good job of removing that particular cultural reference that a lot of people my age have no idea what blackface is. I should also note that the vice-provost of student affairs--a black man--approved of the Black Out Reser campaign. It didn't occur to him either. I think this is a case of oversensitivity.
I'm pretty sure it's going to blow up in another couple of weeks when the nooses start showing up. You see, a traditional symbol of the Civil War game between Oregon State and the University of Oregon is the opposing school's mascot hanging by a noose. Ducks and Beavers all over Oregon are hung by nooses prior to the game. Perhaps it won't happen this year, with the sensitivity to the noose.
We're not all equal yet, but I think people are trying to see racial overtones where there are none.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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