Texas A&M racist video

Parent Cafe
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<p>This is getting a lot of local coverage tonight.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061108_mh_aggievideo.193949a0.html[/url]”>http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061108_mh_aggievideo.193949a0.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The video in question is no longer available for viewing at Youtube. (Why it was ever allowed, I don’t know.) I do think the statement in the article about “passive acceptance of racism” at the school is unfortunately true. Despite condemnation by alumni and administration, including the President of Texas A&M and our newly nominated Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, there does seem to be a problem. The very aggressive recruiting of minorities at Texas A&M seems to be at odds with incidences like this which seem to be tolerated or ignored.</p>

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<p>I’ve never visited TAMU nor do I know any TAMU graduates, but on several ocasions wherein I have read about that campus, there is invariably a comment about racial hostility or antagonism. Where there’s smoke…?</p>

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<p>It’s tough for a Texan, like me, to criticize A&M because it is a good school. BUT, the truth is they do have a problem. Watch the video of the student protest; only the occasional Anglo face in the crowd, but plenty of Anglos casually walking by. The apathy and disinterest is overwhelming…and this is far worse than any overt act of racism by some idiot-moron.</p>

<p>A&M IS a very, very good school, but it has to be a good school for everyone. There ARE powers that be at A&M who recognize this and are working extremely hard for diversity at the school. The question is… do they have priority?</p>

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<p>A couple of years ago my kids participated in a competition that was being held at A&M. My neighbor, whose kids are grown and out of the house, decided to drive up and watch the event.</p>

<p>It was a gorgeous day so he took his Harley motorcycle. Now he is a middle aged, corporate type. When he reached the A&M campus on his bike the campus police immediately stopped him (not for any violation- they just wanted to know what he was there for). He tried to explain why he was there and asked directions to the correct building. They refused to help him and told him to be on his way. They followed him until he left the campus.</p>

<p>He never did make it to the event. He is not intimidated easily, in fact not at all, but I think he saw it was just not worth dealing with these folks.</p>

<p>I have nothing against the school, I think they have some tremendous programs. Many of my S’s friends attend and they are very accepting kids but I would not call it an extremely open, diverse campus.</p>

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<p>One set of actions that might get the attenion of the bigots as well as that of enlightened administrators at TAMU would be protests by Black student athletes. I once read a comment by a U of Mississippi professor who said he never failed to be astonished by the fact that overtly bigoted UM white students would abuse their black classmates in the lecture halls and dormitories, but nevertheless cheered them on the athletic field.</p>

<p>If black football and basketball recruits pubicly announced that they would no longer favorably consider TAMU, I’d bet you would see some substantive steps to improve the racial situation on campus right away. A few 2-9 seasons fielding a football team with no black athletes will get attention in Texas.</p>

<p>I am reminded of the embarrasment and apologies issued by Texas Tech University a while back when visiting black female athletes and coaches were very poorly treated in Lubbock. And Texas Tech had recently won a national basketball championship with hometown heroine Sheryl Swoopes!</p>

<p>Years ago at U of Virginia, when star athlete Ralph Sampson made very ordinary comments supporting an initiative from black undergraduates, it had an immediate and positive impact on the campus. And U of North Carolina administrators took notice when Michael Jordan’s mother (no screeching radical, she) publicly supported Black Student Union proposals at UNC.</p>

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<p>The other thing about this that really irks me is that the video has been available on YouTube since September and was only recently pulled. I’d like to how many views that video had because it is extremely disturbing to me that no one reported it until now.</p>

<p>Also, that one of the students in the video worked for the school newspaper is pretty ridiculous as well.</p>

<p>I felt really bad watching the link of the student protest. Overwhelmingly, the student body of A&M is Caucasian…so where are all the Anglo students and where is their support of their fellow students who just happen to be minorities?</p>

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<p>That video is just a bunch of blacks crying about racism. This video might be a tinge antiwhite, but I don’t classify it as racist.</p>

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<p>joev -</p>

<p>Can’t tell if you are being tongue-in-cheek, just insensitive or what… </p>

<p>But…the internet video in question is a bunch of white A&M students in blackface imitating a master and slave. It was on youtube but is no longer available for viewing. The video at the link is of the students protesting the youtube video.</p>

<p>Your previous postings have often left me scratching my head, so forgive me if you were merely trying to be rude and I ‘didn’t get it’.</p>

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<p>He belongs in the “kiddie forum”, but humor him.</p>

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<p>I did not see the video, but it sounds horrid! </p>

<p>My son got an offer for full tuition from A&M. It would be perfect, as he would prefer to go to school in another city but not TOO far away.</p>

<p>He turned it down flat!</p>

<p>We didn’t even consider it. I’ll find some other way to pay for his college - I would never want him on a campus known for such bigotry.</p>

<p>He is half white and half Hispanic, btw, but he passes for white so that’s not even the issue. I agree that trying to entice minorities is not enough - they need to take some action at the school. What that action is, I don’t know. I’ve known people who send their kids there because they like the narrow-minded atmosphere.</p>

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<p>I figured as much mini. ;)</p>

<p>lealdragon - my d, who is also half Anglo/half Hispanic, rec’d pretty much the same package from A&M (Director’s Excellence plus President’s Endowed and various NMF stuff). It was tempting, but when it got right down to it, she just couldn’t say yes. She wanted diversity and open acceptance of a wide variety of ideas. I know improvement in this area is something A&M says they truly want and they have even created a position for a diversity provost. But it has to start with requiring students treat each other with the most basic of human respect. Something like this video should be investigated and it should be grounds for dismissal as an honor code violation.</p>

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<p>i thought the video was the link provided, that’s what i was commenting on</p>

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<p>“wanted diversity and open acceptance of a wide variety of ideas.”</p>

<p>That’s exactly what my son wants. I’m not paying all this $$ and him going thru all this preparation to be stuck in a place where it is a challenge just to be oneself.</p>

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<p>Here is more from the great state of Texas:
<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCrMyI6ngLg[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCrMyI6ngLg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Same sort of thing at Johns Hopkins
<a href=“Examiner is back - Examiner.com”>Examiner is back - Examiner.com;

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<p>Hey…the Serengeti Ranch featured in the Borat video is for sale. Only 1.8 million bucks…interested Drossel? (What an unbelievable moron that rancher was…and don’t get me started on the deer feeder thing. Pet peeve.)</p>

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<p>I am currently aware of a situation where a professor at A&M College Station selected (4) Asian F1 Students who are here under very strict VISA requirements, and has dumped all of his homework corrections and grading off on these students. It’s a modern method of slavery. Instead of the professor getting to know his own students and correcting their homework, he has F1 VISA students with very delicate immigration status, working for him free. They have no choice but to do his work for him. He can enjoy travelling around the world, ignore his students and their homework, while at the same time indulge in slave labor of students who have no choice but to do his work for him free, otherwise face sub-standard grades and ultimately deportation, if they refuse or complain. It causes them to have to work endless hours for him, to the point that they have no time for their own studies, once again putting them in grave danger of failing. </p>

<p>As an American, and friends with one of the students being abused, I am very ashamed of A&M. She worked very very hard to come here and get an education, and I am sickened at how she is being taken advantage of. I have more copies of the student homework than what the “Professor” has ever seen, and I am very tempted to dump ALL of it on the Internet. </p>

<p>So Gates is suddenly outspoken about racism at TAMU when he is leaving, due to some stupid youtube video about blacks (I have seen it and it is a joke, sick yes, but a joke) while on his watch he has Asian F1 students being basically enslaved right under his very eyes? </p>

<p>Sigh…</p>

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<p>gd - This is horrible!! I would be tempted to contact the Battalian and see if there isn’t a reporter who wouldn’t like to do an ‘investigative piece’. </p>

<p>What a tough situation…especially if the professor is tenured in which case Admin may choose to turn a blind eye to the abuse even if complaints are lodged. </p>

<p>Look for my pm.</p>

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<p>Anyone have any advice? I am about 2 seconds from uploading about 8000 pages of student homework to get this racism issue in the spotlight… </p>

<p>I am afraid of retaliation against my friend… She spent several years going through and filing paperwork just to become an “Aggie”. She has the back window sticker for her car, even before she can afford a car, and she is serious about putting the window sticker on the back. </p>

<p>If that is not “Aggie” spirit, I don’t know what is… </p>

<p>It angers me to see that the “professors” at A&M are taking advantage of F1 Visa students and if it takes such a move, I am going to blow it wide open by posting ALL of the student homework, names of Professors who are dumping all this free labor on F1 students, dates, grades, complaints that have already been filed, etc. </p>

<p>But when I do it, it will risk my friend being retaliated against… What to do?</p>

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<p>Sorry to be so passionate about this issue, but this is an E-Mail that I sent to Dr. Gates, The Eagle and The Houston Chronicle, this morning. It was read and confirmed by Gates assistant Sandy Crawford. I have removed my own contact information for privacy… </p>

<p>Your message</p>

<p>To: Crawford, Sandy L
Subject: Racial abuse at A&M with F1 VISA students being forced to
work free for the professors
Sent: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:04:41 -0600</p>

<p>was read on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 08:22:07 -0600
Final-Recipient: RFC822; <a href=“mailto:s-crawford@tamu.edu”>s-crawford@tamu.edu</a>
Disposition: automatic-action/MDN-sent-automatically; displayed</p>

<p>Dr. Gates, </p>

<p>First, congratulations on your new job with our Federal Govt. And I fully applaud your
going away agenda that included slamming the kids that made the racist video two years
ago. That really shows how adept you are at using the “Internets”. </p>

<p>But may I please have one moment of your time to alert you to a way more severe problem
in your University? </p>

<p>I am best friends with a PHD student from another country. She moved here with her F1 Visa
a few months ago. (I have now moved to College Station, so I am
a local now as well…) Her professor selected (4) Asian female F1 Visa students to correct all of his paperwork,
as in the homework of other students. (I have copies of all of it). I full well feel that it is due to his knowing
that the F1 VISA students are under threat, (to maintain a proper grade
average or be kicked out of A&M and out of the United States Of America). It is common knowledge that
he is taking advantage of these students due to their very delicate immigration status. For him to select only
(4) Asian F1 status females to do his work free, is a very clear example. Certainly you are good at math
as well? </p>

<p>My question to you, is do you know that is going on? I have total complete evidence of an
F1 Visa student being given so much home work (of other students to correct) that she had no time
to do her own homework and got an F (resulting from the Professor dumping all his work off on F1 students.)
She worked on paperwork for three years to come to A&M, only to see her dreams and goals dashed, by
being so overloaded with doing free work for the professor, that she can’t do her own studies. She has been
working 18 hours a day and sleeping 4-5., due to this, and I am a witness to this fact. </p>

<p>How is that different than slavery? You can’t tell me it is, because I have proof and have seen it with my
own eyes! </p>

<p>To me, that is way worse than southern racism. That is raping people of other cultures, who may have
spent years of paperwork and their life savings to come to A&M for an education, only to get taken
advantage of. I know how hard she worked to come here, and what she wants in life, but her dreams and
goals are being quickly destroyed by the abuse of a professor, who instead of doing his own homework
corrections, and thus knowing his students and their abilities, is taking advantage of F1 VISA students. I
have massive proof of that fact, in fact I can provide you with more copies of the students homework than
this “professor” can or will do. </p>

<p>I hope to hear from you about this treatment of my best friend at A&M. Revelle would bite someone if
she knew about this… :slight_smile: Good luck keeping us Americans safe, and Aggieland will always be here for
you to come back to. I am honored to join the town. It looks like you contributed a lot. Thanks for what
you did, and what you will do, not only for us Americans, but our friends that may come here seeking the highest level
of education our country has to offer, regardless of where there come from or how their F1 Visa status may appear
to require them to work for professors for free, even to the extent of damaging their own studies. </p>

<p>I feel that the abuse of F1 students is not only unfair, but it is a disgrace to our society. It is the ultimate in
racism as it is currently abusing people of other cultures who really want to learn and be educated in our society.
It’s a horrible disgrace, so along with your obvious political agenda of eliminating racism of blacks, why not pay
attention to what is being done, and is proven as being done to your other F1 students.</p>