Racist Party Themes at Dartmouth

Time and time again, Greek organizations have been sites of overt racism on Dartmouth’s campus. In 1988, Chi Gamma Epsilon and Alpha Xi Delta hosted a “Ghetto Party,” which involved Afro wigs and toy guns.  In 2013, Alpha Delta and Delta Delta Delta hosted a “Bloods and Crips” Party that more than 200 students attended, trivializing gang violence. Until 2014, Alpha Phi and Phi Delta Alpha hosted an annual philanthropic event called “Phiesta.” These are just a few examples that show how the Greek system at Dartmouth is no stranger to the exploitation of cultures and the promotion of racist stereotypes. In 2013, the administration even admitted that Dartmouth does not have a policy prohibiting themed parties and events, maintaining the institution’s complacency in the perpetuation of racism in social events and Greek spaces. As a result, Dartmouth students planning and normalizing these culturally insensitive events in a majority white Greek system actively disregards their peers and any consideration of how these party themes might make others feel. This maintains that the Dartmouth Greek system was not meant for and is not a safe space for students of color.

For further reading:

http://thedartmouth.com/2014/04/25/a-phi-phi-delt-cancel-phiesta/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/14/dartmouth-bloods-and-crips-party-fraternity_n_3755959.html