“This evening is an attempt at truth seeking. We are seeking to shed light, in the best Quaker sense of the word, on what has happened and what will happen in the future,” said Max Carter on Oct. 8.
The evening: a student organized two-hour forum entitled, “Where Do We Draw the Line?”
What had happened: the Pimps N’ Hoes party, which over 300 students attended on Sept. 20.
What will happen: depends on the student body.
Senior Lindsey Gallagher’s and others’ outrage at the sexism and racism in a ‘Pimp and Hoes’ theme, expressed in a letter to the editor in the Sept. 26 issue of The Guilfordian, and a phone call Gallagher received attacking that view, prompted the evening. Gallagher and senior Melissa Robshaw, who moderated, organized the evening.
Eight panelists, including Gallagher, spoke before opening the floor to over 70 audience members. Faces ranged from unblinking eyes, to clenched jaws, to tear- stained cheeks throughout the forum.
Coordinator of Women’s Studies, Carol Stoneburner, warned against dismissing the party as an evening of fun, saying that doing so trivializes both gender inequality and the many people on Guilford campus who have experienced sexual exploitation.
Shelini Harris, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies, spoke about the global sex trade, both in the United States and internationally. In 2000 the CIA reported that over two million women were sold annually worldwide.
“It is our job to make sure none of us is unaware of this suffering,” said Harris.
Professor of Justice and Policy Studies, Monica Walker, spoke as a professor and member of Blacks Unifying Society (BUS). She spoke about the “blaxploitation” films of the 1970s, which portrayed black men as pimps and black women as prostitutes.
“This is hard to imagine that in 2003, there is such an amnesia, such a failure to educate, and I don’t just mean black students but all students, that we are all still victimized by that language,” said Walker, addressing the idea that ‘pimp’ and ‘ho’ may have become less offensive since then.
Kelly Burger, the Milner Hall Director, began the evening by explaining that the RAs from both Milner and Bryan helped plan the event as part of campus survival week without knowing the racially sensitive historical background.
Both Burger and Bryan Hall Director Floyd McKissick expressed surprise that people did not mention they found the theme offensive until after the event, since the RAs posted fliers advertising the party two weeks in advance.
“I apologize for all the controversy that’s come about, but we really had no idea of the historical background,” said Burger.
Associate Dean for Campus Life, Jodi Gill, addressed the concern that the school hadfunded the party. She pointed out that Campus Life did not fund the party; the money came from the Residence Hall Council budget through Student Senate.
Gill noted that Campus Life does not interfere because people may find a theme offensive. Gill also applauded the use of a forum to discuss social issues.
Max Carter, Director of the Friends Center, Campus Ministry Coordinator, and final panelist, spoke about keeping the forum a safe place to seek the truth.
Audience concerns covered a range of topics. People talked about raising the awareness of sexism, the way The Guilfordian covered the party, and Guilford’s image. The conversation centered on how the dance made some people feel unsafe, and whether future campus-sponsored events will promote that atmosphere.
“Is there any form of protection? Can we just have a party for anything a group of Res. Life people want to have?” said one woman in the audience.
“How do we step in without having to go to the planning meeting? How can we set up a mechanism to ensure that we don’t have those sorts of parties?” said Gallagher.
“We censor very little, in accordance with the dissent policy in the student handbook,” said Gill about Campus Life.
The panelists ended the evening by urging closer RA and student communication, and discussing the issues raised at the forum as an opportunity for open dialogue and greater knowledge.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn,” said Walker.