Thursday, August 4, 2011

Lawsuit Over Wigga Wednesdays

Apparently Red Wing High School would have impromptu 'Wigga Wednesdays' during homecoming week to celebrate/mock/denigrate/disrespect African-American culture- and now a former grad is suing the school.

It's important to note right off the bat, that this was in no way, shape or form a school sponsored event. Kids just did it- just because teenagers can be idiots that way but the lawsuit is contending that the school should have intervened to stop it and claiming it caused the plaintiff emotional distress and severe depression.

I don't think I'll surprise anyone by revealing that I'm not, in fact, African-American. (Shocker, I know) so it's hard to wrap my head around what that might feel like, seeing people mock and make fun of an entire culture- especially if it were my own. I can imagine it could feel pretty damn shitty and honestly, the school should have been more sensitive to the issue and actually done something about it.

That said: the old saying is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and if you're white and genuinely like baggy pants and do-rags and hardcore gangsta rap more power to you. But if you're doing it because you think it makes you cool, if you're doing it to mock African-Americans, if you're doing it because you want to prove how 'gangsta' you are, please stop. It's more than a little insensitive and makes you look like a damn fool.

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