I just read this article Morehouse Clothing Policy, which is about Morehouse ( an all male, historically black college) and it's new ban against wearing any women's clothing and makeup, etc. The vice president of Student Services, Dr. William Bynum said this ban is targeted for a minority of students who are dressing in women's clothing and who are apparently "living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men".
I know that gender conformity is extremely important in the black community, especially for black men. However I am still surprised that Morehouse would go so far to actually create a school policy to ensure that the men attending their institution would look a certain way. In fact, any student that breaks this policy "will not be allowed to go to class unless they change. Chronic dress-code offenders could be suspended from the college".
Apparently, the reason behind this policy lies within the vision of the president of the college who "wants the institution to create leaders like notable graduates Martin Luther King Jr., actor Samuel Jackson and film director Spike Lee". However, who said dressing a certain way meant that you couldn't be an activist like Martin Luther King Jr. or a famous film director like Spike Lee. I don't understand why what you wear would have anything to do with your potential to become a leader. This is clearly about maintaining a certain idea of masculinity. I understand that they want to uphold a legacy, but this policy is just reinforcing the boxes that black men are "suppose" to fit into.
It is interesting that Morehouse would take such a close-minded stance. It reminds me of a quote by Coretta Scott King in which she says, "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood." Since Morehouse is a historically black all men's college, one would think that the institution would be more sensitive to discrimination. I am surprised that they would not be more open, given their dedication to social awareness and the struggles of our own black community.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read that Morehouse would actually go as far as placing an official school policy that limits their student body's freedom of expression. What I truly found ironic about this was that the college wanted to build people like Martin Luther King, but I'm certain that Dr. King would not appreciate or approve of the suppression of a group of people.
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ReplyDeleteGaby, while at first I completely agreed with your statement about what Dr. King would approve of, I am now questioning my stance. After doing some very brief research, I came across a website that stated the opposite. I'm not sure if this is completely true but according to one of Dr. King's friends, he spoke out against homosexuality. The same source also went on to say that homosexuality can not be equated to gay rights. This is all a little difficult believe because in the same forum, it says that Dr. King had a gay friend.
ReplyDeleteHere is the URL where I got my information from:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/293986.html
If you are really interested in this topic, I would encourage you to unpack your opinion and do some more research. I am going to do the same because this is an enthralling subject for me.