Clemson Suspends White Frat Over Racist 'Cripmas Party'

A Clemson University frat thought it’d be cool to dress up like black gang members for their Christmas party—called Clemson Cripmas—because stereotypes and racism really ring in the holiday season. Who needs AAS 101?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which has no black members (and probably collectively no black friends) according to Clemson, are the fools behind the party where members dressed like the African American gang, the Crips. Raw Story reports the frat was suspended for their idea of fun, freeing up plenty of space for the next batch of fools to do something similar at another school in a few months. Of course, Sigma’s national office has condemned the actions of their Clemson members.

“The decision of a few brothers to hold this type of social event is inexcusable and completely inappropriate,” the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon organization said in a statement announcing the suspension posted on its website on Sunday.

“Their behavior in no way reflects the values and creed of the fraternity, and we apologize to (the) campus and local community for their actions,” the fraternity added.

Totally.

But the following comment from Clemson’s Chief Diversity Officer Leon Wiles pretty much sums up contemporary America, in two sentences. It’s why there are protests across the country following the failure to indict the men who killed Mike Brown and Eric Garner, and, on a smaller scale, it’s why some white people really don’t think those deaths are about race and it’s why offensive parties like Cripmas will keep happening.

“Many of our students of color were infuriated, outraged and upset by the ‘Cripmas’ party,” Wiles said. “Some white students didn’t think it was a big deal and didn’t understand why there was such a strong reaction.”

People, something doesn’t stop being racist, offensive, murderous or generally awful just because it isn’t happening to you.