<p>I'm not up on the Boston thing. Now, if you mean South Boston, Virginia, I believe that was 1970, but it's been a long time.</p>
<p>My impression has been that the South Boston, Mass. schools were never segregated in the sense that the schools in my district were segregated. In my school district, AA kids weren't allowed to attend white schools. In SB, Mass, there were some AA kids in white schools, but only those that lived in white neighborhoods. And there were very few of those. So, the segregation was de facto by living area.</p>
<p>Tarhunt, on my first (last and only) spring break bus trip from NYC to Atlanta, the first stop after Richmond was South Boston VA. The bustling bus station in that "town" was a Union 76 Gas Station. Only two pumps. LOL.</p>
<p>Yep. It's a pretty small place, but it's large for that part of the country. I'm not kidding. I believe it still has its own stock car race track.</p>
<p>The positive side of Gansta and similar music extending across many groups of young people is that it does help bring them together some. At S2's HS, it is the preferred music at school dances and gatherings and ALL the kids join together to dance to it, exchange info on favorites, talk about new artists etc. S2 mostly listens to 3 types of music, Jazz (or all types), 40's swing and ballads, and Gangsta. He is in a Jazz band and plays in a drum line, for which he composes cadences often inspired by the Gangsta music. He at times wears his pants low with shorts (not underwear) underneath visible. He is also an athlete, a national champion martial artist with 3 black belts, and a top student in a challenging curriculum. I say this only to point out that not all activities involving this dress and music are parodies or meant to offend, but instead have an opposite effect, and many kids enjoy the music. Wearing blackface and making fun of a culture is offensive. It's the consequences motivating the activity not the activity itself that defines the offensiveness. (I also find the nerd parody offensive, its consequence is to make fun of a group, not enjoy the group's culture.) I'm supportive, but will not condone any attempt to "ghost ride the whip."</p>
<p>One question does come to mind: Are the Ghetto Fabulous parties a RECENT occurence, or have similar parties been held for years, if not decades? </p>
<p>Googling those words reveal an astounding number of hits and lead to the quick conclusion that these type of parties have been organized for a long time. It does seem that the main --if not only-- difference is the advent of new technology that has made the sharing of offensive pictures. So, why has it taken this long to decry this type of un-PC parties?</p>
<p>The list of offensive parties and actions on campus does not end with the Ghetto Fabulous. Is this any less offensive? </p>
<p>Sept. 26, 2003
Bridget Newman could hardly believe her eyes when she left her dorm room on the campus of Duke University two Saturdays ago. </p>
<p>Just a few feet away, a "border control station" guarded the door of the Sigma Chi fraternity house, where a "Viva Mexico" theme party was underway inside. </p>
<p>Days earlier, fraternity members had passed out expired green card invitations and "Cross the Border" party fliers. The fliers featured a caricature of a sombrero-clad Mexican man, napping beside a cactus and surrounded by several bottles of Corona beer.</p>