African-American university students offended by cotton

The president of Lipscomb University issued a public apology after an untold number of African American students were offended by a dinner table centerpiece made from stalks of cotton.

Yes, good readers – a group of college students was triggered by the fabric of our lives.

The president of Lipscomb University issued a public apology after an untold number of African American students were offended by a dinner table centerpiece made from stalks of cotton.

Yes, good readers – a group of college students was triggered by the fabric of our lives.

Randy Lowry, president of the Christian university based in Nashville, had invited African-American students to his home for dinner last week.

One student who attended the gathering posted a diatribe on Instagram – along with a photo of the “offensive” centerpiece.

“We were very offended,” the student wrote. “My friend … asked why there was cotton on the table as the centerpiece. His response was that he didn’t know, he seen it before we did, he kind of thought it was ‘fallish’, THEN he said, “it ISNT INHERENTLY BAD IF WERE ALL WEARING IT.”
Lipscomb University is doing a grave disservice by apologizing to a bunch of young people feigning to be victims of Lord knows what.

By the way, what’s wrong with collard greens and cornbread and macaroni and cheese? Back home in Deep South we don’t call that “black meals” or “white meals.” We just call that good eatin’.

Wow, just ... wow. I'm very close to there and did multiple contracts with them..

I feel this whole world, especially the younger generation (imo) has lost their ever loving minds.

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nope i got nuthin

and the dean didn't think having cotton as a center piece while have blacks over would be a problem?... maybe just don't invite them over next time, if your going to use cotton as a center piece...

Ya know, you're right. Here's the thing, no, the dean had no clue, cotton is still a big crop here, and I am absolutely positive there was no racial intentions meant by it. It is cotton harvest time here. He shouldn't HAVE to apologize for anything. But being a "Christian " school, I'm sure he felt it was the right thing to do in his heart.

i agree, but he shoulda known the snowflakes would melt...

This is what I mean when I say all Americans are brought up with some racist views. It is either due to associations the media immerses us with that causes conscious and subconscious stereotypes, or associations of certain things to certain cultures or in our educational process and it's tendency to to the same.

This is also what I mean when I say I don't care about personal racism as much as institutional. Much personal racism is simply ignorance and some actually comes from ignorance and good intentions.

I see this as the latter. As Americans we learn to associate foods with cultures so Latinas are associated with Tacos, for example. And the night before this event, Latinos were invited over and INDEED were served tacos WITHOUT the cotton stalk centerpiece, which make me feel the centerpiece choice was more intentional than 'seasonal'.

Because of that I understand the reasons catering decided to serve African Americans 'southern' food. I also understand how ignorant caterers would make the association between cotton and African Americans and not stop to think about how much more offensive that might be than simple food choice, as cotton is not exactly something Africans enjoyed or chose to pick themselves.

I'd say, this was just ignorance without intention of being offensive. I'd also say that ignorance should fade with knowledge. Now that the 'offenders' have been informed, I doubt they will make that choice again in the future.

I did not know this. Now you have me wondering. It's just something I don't see this university doing intentionally is all. I do suppose I could be wrong though.

:edit: Although, you did mention personal racism... could be a racist dean.. that is sad to think. I personally know plenty of people that have gone there, they even run an elementary school. I certainly hope this is not something being invoked into young minds.

Yeah. It sounded from the response he gave that it was not something he really took part in planning other than directing some staff to get it done.

If someone was offended then that is their issue. People whine about everything

Btw...I made beans, cornbread amd collard greens thia weekend for my grandfather (his favorite meal). Never heard it was race specific though. My grandparents ate that growing up because it was a cheap meal

as Sean Connery would so aptly observe:"Shnowflakes"!

it seems like those complaining about snowflakes are themselves, then, snowflakes.

The truth is people have every right to express how they feel or felt. That is the nature of social media. And public officials of this day and age have a modern responsiblity to pay attention to their public, and their feelings/opinions on those things that are easy to fix, like not putting cotton stalks on the table because you have African American guests.

What if someone had a party for jewish guests and put gas masks on the table? I dont think the natural response would be to point out that jewish people were not the only ones to wear gas masks.

Or for white men and had NAMBLA flyers on the table? It would not be simply brushed off because not only white men are child lovers.

These negative stereotypes and associations can be unnecessary so if they offend it harms noone to adapt for the next time. After all, having 'guests' usually implies efforts are being taken to make someone 'welcome' in their surroundings.

Snowflakes are easily offended and whining. People calling them out on it are not snowflakes. They are just calling out the snowflakes on their behavior

Seems to me these students were the ones continuing the stereotype.

I just asked people (that I know...black and white) about this. All said put on your big kid pants

Did they have to pick cotton as slaves? What about the Jews? Hell even the Irish were less than nothing.

This is a typo, correct? I don't recall Jewish people during the holocaust wearing them.. j/s

Good catch

Well, I wasn't offended and I have picked cotton.

Lol

I've shucked corn, speared tobacco, got the bales in from the field, snapped peas, but not cotton.

But I donwanna pick cotton. I wanna pick berries.
Can I pick berries?
No, not dingle berries, strawberries and blue berries and black berries and such.

when was the last black to pick any cotton anyway? 150 years ago?... i guess all the blacks wanna live in the past, and not care about the future...