You can’t spell classy without “assy.”
The National Federation of Republican Women had their annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, and decided to celebrate the event with a costume party because who doesn’t love a costume party? Probably the two Negroes who were hired to wear antebellum high fashion — you know… slave gear — and whomever was sold whatever the deal was with the LIVE AUCTION1 [see update below]:
Looks like fun, don’t it?
The National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) held its annual fall Board of Directors meeting in Charleston, S.C. last weekend – a decision the organization is likely regretting after several controversial pictures from one of the meeting’s sponsored events began surfacing on the internet.
…
The event in question – dubbed “A Southern Experience” – was held last Friday evening at the Country Club of Charleston. Hosted by the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women, it was included on the national conference’s official itinerary.
In addition to McConnell, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford attended (and spoke at) the event – although it was not listed on his weekly public schedule. S.C. Republican Attorney General nominee Alan Wilson also attended.
Invited speakers to the NFRW conference included U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, RNC Chairman Michael Steele, Rep. Joe Wilson, House Speaker Bobby Harrell, former U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins and GOP gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley.
South Carolina Senate President Glenn McConnell (he’s the white dude in the photo up there) defended the party:
“Tell me what is offensive about having the differing parts of the culture there? What are we going to try and do in America, sanitize history?” McConnell said today from his office in the Statehouse. His office is decorated with memorabilia from his re-enactments of the Civil War, along with a law library and mementos such as a ceramic bust of Ronald Reagan and a figurine of a Boston Terrier.
…
“What the ladies had put together was a smorgasbord of Southern culture,” McConnell said. “It was reflected in the dress, the historical accuracy of the performances and even down to the food. It was a wonderful, entertaining and educational night for those visitors. It showed the approach we have in this state of a shared history.
… If somebody is trying to be politically correct and use a tunnel vision on it and hook in the slavery issue, they’re on a slippery slope toward narrow-mindedness and they should extend the charity of understanding. Receive it in the spirit that it is presented.”2
Um, jackass? Your state is home to:
- Joe Wilson, the representative who yelled “You lie!” at Obama during Obama’s big health care speech last year;
- Jake Knotts, a former gubernatorial candidate who called GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Nikki Haley “raghead”; and
- Rusty Pass, some GOP nitwit who recently joked that a gorilla which had escaped from the zoo was “one of Michelle [Obama]‘s ancestors.”
I’m pretty sure we’re taking it in “the spirit that it is presented.”
As for the two black people pictured, Frank and Sharon Murray:
Sharon Murray said she and her husband were neither portraying freedmen nor slaves. They were “21st century adults” who were trying to educate and entertain the women at the convention, she said. The couple was paid for their time but Murray declined to say how much.
“My husband and I are preservationists,” Murray said. “We teach people about the Gullah culture.”
Mmmhmm. I get it. Times are tough. You needed the money.
Wow. They even let you play the washboards.
1 Wonkette has a link to the brochure for this event, which included a live auction. Yep. A live auction. Ain’t that the cream in this WTF!? twinkie?
2 You can read more about this Glenn McConnell character and his South Carolina-style fuckery at FitsNews.
[Update: Someone told me in a comments thread at Pajiba that it was a live auction as opposed to a silent auction. ::shrug:: My bad? I guess? I can't find anymore information on the Googlez about it. I admit that I did a double-take when I read the Wonkette post, but I ran with it. So, I've edited the post. Either way, this shit is racist and it's bananas.]
I know this is kind of off subject…but that’s a woman? I had to do a double take, then I read the rest of your article, then I had to look again. Nope…I’m still not seeing it.
kind of off subject…?
Alright, a lot off subject. Well off subject. Has nothing to do with the subject.
Aside from that…I’m still curious.
they didn’t have oprah back then. ;)
O_O Shock and disbelief, his comments supporting his act to reenact a southern tradition…HORRIFIC. And he still has his job, why?
because this is post-racial america. obama is president. he’s just paying tribute to the days of yore.
/snark
I understand if “the hired help” decided to take on the job in the hopes of trying to engage the attendees in Gullah culture, hence, their explanations of innocent role-playing.
HOWEVER…auctioning off people?
And, come to think of it, isn’t interpreting a history of enslavement as a culture, regardless of what name it is filed under, or who embodies it, like putting a small bandage on a gigantic, blood-gushing wound and calling it healed?
Being Canadian, I have no true understanding of Black History (the closest I can come to is the slight parallel to the treatment of our aboriginal communities-dismal, to say the least) so if I’m WAY off base, I apologize and would gladly accept being enlightened.
nope, you’re right on the base! :)
Well…was the auctioning off of people like it was in, shit, what was that movie with Ashley Judd? Double Jeopardy! I mean, were they auctioning off dates to the highest bidder?
I would like to say this bothers me…but I was born and raised in the south. I see shit like this all the time. Like…this doesn’t shock me at all. I mean, its the south, I can’t even buy beer on sundays.
Your post is full of statements that are not an accurate reflection of the facts surrounding this event.
This event highlighted South Carolina history in many ways including the Gullah storytellers who were featured to give women from across the United States a chance to learn about the vital impact of Gullah culture on South Carolina’s lowcountry. They were NEVER dressed or asked to play the role of slaves. The assumption that these performers were slaves without accurately checking your facts is offensive and ignorant on your part.
I guess I’ll take your word for it, anonymous person on the Internet.
And you’re right. Who am I to question the motives of people who like to dress up and reminisce about a war that “their side” lost and which resulted in “their side” having to give up their slaves. What an awesome time in our nation’s history. I wish people threw more Civil War parties.
As for the Murrays, it’s unfortunate that their efforts to educate people about their culture was overshadowed by the South Carolina GOP’s PR dumbassery. Had I known two days ago what I know today, I would not have dismissed them the way I did, and I would have dialed down the snark directed at them to a respectable level.
VTY,
STM/ABL
So, we watched this whole documentary thing at school called “The Color of Fear” which was about a men’s retreat weekend where two black dudes, two Latino dudes, two Asian dudes, and two white dudes all got together to talk about race. And there was this one white dude who was THE White Dude, the one who “has lots of Latino friends and collects things from their culture” and he kept saying he didn’t get it, how he’s not racist, he doesn’t feel in power, and he thought maybe the issue was on the other side, on the way the “colored people” (all the nonwhites in attendance) saw white people. And this one black dude was “and that is the privilege you get to have. You get to not think about what it means to be white, you get to not think about how we have to deal with you everyday. You get to sit there and say this is OUR problem, when it’s your problem.”
And I was watching it and thinking…yeah. That is what it means to be white. It means throwing a “Southern Experience Party” in “good fun” and not thinking about how offensive, threatening, and racist it will come off. And then to turn around and say “if you were offended by this, that means YOU have a problem.”
There are a lot of things nonwhite people can’t do–they can’t go into stores without being followed, find greeting cards with people who look like them on them, or ever not be subject to the thousands of ways they are reminded that they are nonwhite.
You know what white people can’t do? Throw a motherfucking Southern Experience Party as good clean fun and not get called out for that shit as racist and ignorant.
Sorry fellow white people. But really, it’s just the one thing–relatively speaking, we got off lightly. We should be able to handle it.
“You know what white people can’t do? Throw a motherfucking Southern Experience Party as good clean fun and NOT GET CALLED OUT FOR THAT SHIT as racist and ignorant.”
After reading all this great stuff & kicking myself for not reading earlier (it’s been a most stressful time lately), I’m doing a silly white boy ‘fist-pump’ in the air and hollering YEAH M***, DAMN STRAIGHT!!! after reading Hobo’s quote above.
This “event” enrages me to a level that probably doesn’t come close to a black person’s, but the jaw-dropping SHAME I feel towards these GOP ignoramuses’ total lack of empathy, respect and rememberance of “A Southern Experience” (WHOSE, exactly?) in MY VERY OWN STATE, nonetheless, makes me desperately wish I was any color or ethnicity OTHER than white, and so embarrassed by our race’s lowest common denominator.
I commented here awhile back on my city of Columbia, SC (90 miles from Charleston, if that helps) and the relations between black and white people in my office environment – it was ridiculously long & tedious and I kind of regret it but don’t take it back BUT my point is:
As with any state that’s labeled with a single-impression view by the rest of the country, there really, really ARE just loads of wonderful, friendly, respectable, hard-working people of all backgrounds and histories that are truly fine and decent examples of the human race here in SC.
We have a weekly ‘Free Times’ paper that mercilessly rips apart “Our Dumb State” (their words), just so you know that we are equally aware of the asshattery of Sanford, and Wilson, and too many more to name.
I read “Caroline”‘s comment (and think she has a right to post anonymously, why not?); but the blatant presence of Southern white GOP elitists “overshadowing” the entire purpose of the event, celebrating the Gullah culture (who knew???) makes her defense rather weak – c’moooonnn, NO ONE GROUP or organization besides this inbred SC GOP white idiots club would be that smirkingly brazen and attention-whorish to think this sad stunt would actually benefit their reputations. (the Spirit of Strom compels them, the Spirit of Strom compels them, the Spir-well you know the rest)
But to clarify: yes, their constant buffoonery is a rightly-deserved embarrassment, but we didn’t ALL vote them in. Hell, next thing you know one of those white dumbass conservatives will be giving a speech at the Lincoln Mem…
ohhh shit.. we’re really screwed, aren’t we?
Cool, I’m right on base!
On a side note, I currently work as an learning assistant to a group of preschoolers (I love my job), so when throwing “sketchy-themed” parties, here are three good rules to live by, courtesy of my four year old charges (I’m looking at you, SCR’s):
Be kind-be kind to our friends by sharing, including others equally in play, no name-calling, etc.
Be safe-keep our bodies and our feelings safe from hurt (a hurt feeling hurts the same as a scraped knee).
Be neat-put your costumes away when you are finished playing “plantation owner”, “hired help”, etc.
Keep up the good blogging!
i have some big titties!!!!! and NIGGERS