I want you to read the following story and tell me your honest opinion.
"A Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee just joined the national discourse on race relations with a throwback of sorts.
Black students were treated to a dinner by Lipscomb University President Randy Lowry at Lowry’s home on September 15. And those who attended found their tables decorated with cotton stalks.
So I attend Lipscomb university and as most of you know that is a predominately white school. Tonight AFRICAN AMERICAN students were invited to have dinner with the president of the school. As we arrived to the president’s home and proceeded to go in we seen cotton as the center pieces.
Her post continued and went on to mention that the food being served was stereotypically “black” and included macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cornbread. Also of note: the students weren’t offered any chairs and had to eat standing up. The entire situation reportedly made all of the students quite uncomfortable.
As Lowry made his way around to the tables of standing students eating soul food around stalks of cotton to inquire about their majors, some of them asked him what motivated the choice of centerpiece. He said he thought it was, “fallish.”
Then, according to Yvonne, students registered their discontent with Lowry’s choice of plant. At this point, the host apparently bristled, saying that it wasn’t “inherently bad” since everyone there was wearing cotton.
Lowry has since apologized via the school’s Facebook page. His statement reads:
Several students shared with me their concern about the material used for centerpieces which contained stalks of cotton. The content of the centerpieces was offensive, and I could have handled the situation with more sensitivity. I sincerely apologize for the discomfort, anger or disappointment we caused and solicit your forgiveness.
Yvonne’s post also contains at least one other interesting tidbit.
Apparently, Latin-American students were welcomed to Lowry’s home the night before to share their experiences. And though fall was swiftly approaching on Thursday night as well, the cotton centerpieces weren’t there–and neither was the menu served to black students. The Latin-American students were served tacos instead." [Source]
So what do you think?
This is...
A. A big deal because it just shows you how racist and insensitive folks in the majority population can be.
B. No biggy because the school was just trying to reach out to African American students, and it was an honest misunderstanding.
C. Black people need to stop being so sensitive.
D. Tell me your personal opinion.
72 comments:
A.
And the issue is that the term "majority population" is soon to be a thing of the past. They know it as well as you and I. Hopefully he took photos for posterity during both dinners.
First of all I think the guy is koo koo for cocoa puffs! Totally! I mean who does that??? Shit scary lol!
I would have fucking roasted his ass and those centerpieces like no tomorrow! Are you kidding??? Social experiment? Nah, don't social experiment me when you invite me to your fuqin house to dinner, you can miss me with that shit. My idea of camping is a five star hotel mkay? So if you invite me to dinner it had better be your fuqin best whatever that may be, but your fuqin best capish?!
I mean I would have asked him if he was serious, and then walked out, I don't care who he was! Do that shit to your mother, not me! xD
So that's my opinion, so much for social experimenting with an old bat that's gearing up to fight a fuqing category 5 hurricane1 LOLOL!
Yeah, I may have reacted in a different way, but at my age, and even younger, nah at best I'd be roasting that shit and making everybody laugh all night, and I'd stay to do just precisely that,(the guy would prolly throw me out lol) or I'da walked back out.
Uy crazy man! :)
Oh, and he forgot to decorate some tables with sugar cane stalks and tobacco leaf!
The Americans had all these islands planted with sugar cane and tobacco and worked with African slaves! They made money all over the place!
Americas wealth built on the backs of slaves!!! Time for reparations!
I choose "A"
This was racism. It's the underhanded way of insulting minorities.
..and decorating with cotton, and offering no chairs was the "You're Not Really Welcome Here" message.
What, no watermelon? Yes, I pick " A"-- insulting, totally insensitive, and stupid .
Wait a minute I missed that little gem! They had to stand up to eat??? WTF! Unbelievable! They didn't walk out? WTF is wrong with them??? Somethings not right here! Nah,that's too crazy! Honestly I don't even believe it! SMH!
*Walks away shaking head*
Can I vote E?
E. I am baffled by this story. It doesn't make any kind of sense.
On the one hand, how unbelievably ignorant would a person have to be to do this unintentionally -- that is to say, without realizing it would be offensive? Maybe I could see Mr. Lowry being clueless enough to believe that a menu of soul food would make his black guests feel at home. Maybe. It's at least plausible. But the cotton centerpieces? That just puts it over the top. It's like something out of a sitcom.
After dinner, did they all sing Negro spirituals? Was there a tap-dancing competition?
On the other hand, if these events were meant to be offensive, why even bother? Why hold outreach sessions with the black and Latinos students (the latter got tacos) at all, if you dislike them so much you cannot refrain from trolling them? Could acting like a racist dick to his non-white students really have been so amusing to him that it would be worth the fallout? If this president doesn't get fired, he has certainly created a major headache for himself.
Very peculiar.
I did not know that Mac & cheese and cornbread were "black" food. I believe the Native Americans were making cornbread long before Europeans or Africans came to America. And Mac & Cheese? Why is that a "black food"? I think people all over America eat Mac & Cheese and I know of historic connection to African Americans. Seriously people, do a little critical thinking! And the cotton, I don't care for it as a décor but it's just a plant. If this is all you have to be upset about then I think you have a pretty good life!
It was deliberate.
@ Kemelyn, I think Trump's stance on immigration is going to slow down the "browning" of America.
But they'd better be careful that it doesn't become "yellow/olive" instead.
Would the president have served Jewish students bratwurst and sauerkraut?
Because of the storms, Lilac had came across my mind. I was wondering if she was okay, but her comments on here answered that question for me. I'm glad your okay. God is good.
In answer to your question Field:
I'm not surprise. A lot of white churches participated in racism during slavery and still do. That's why Blacks started their own churches.
Those students should have walked out and threw the dinners in the garbage can. I hoped they filmed it on their cellphones. Next, I'd take him to court.
Seriously people, do a little critical thinking! And the cotton, I don't care for it as a décor but it's just a plant. If this is all you have to be upset about then I think you have a pretty good life!
Are you fucking kidding? Seriously? WTF is wrong with you? I would think that any sensitive Nazi, like maybe Rush Limbaugh, would at least be intelligent enough to see this for what it is. Even a hardcore racist would just laugh and say that it was funny. No big, huh? Field anticipated your arrival. You're just self-deluded.
How about manacle and chain napkin rings? Strange fruit hanging from the ceilings? After all it's almost Halloween. Fuck you.
I hope for the sake of these students that their professors and teachers take their responsibilities more seriously than the university president.
OK, D, my personal opinion, which is all I can really have anyway, is that this creep is an asshole.
Why would you do that? What sort of twisted logic led him through all of the decisions he had to make in order for this to happen.
Don't give me any "Oops, I didn't mean to offend anyone" bullshit, I don't buy the idea that you are that oblivious to your surroundings and are president of the University.
What you really mean is "I'm sorry that the people who noticed the stupid, offensive, bullshit I pulled decided to write about it and get me in trouble."
Be safe, Lilac, this storm looks ugly.
-Doug in Oakland
If this guy is that out of touch and insensitive he has no business being a University president.
Maria is now a Cat 5 and looks to be Cat 4 when it hits P.R. You and all others be safe Ms. Desert.
PX
I kept expecting to get to some social experiment reason for the dinners. I still suspect there was one even though none was mentioned. Even inviting students according to race is weird, if there is no reason for it. Having the students stand is a clue that there is more to this story than just plain ignorance.
Yes Limbaugh,
It is a social experiment of a kind. The infamous, "Compton Cookout," took place on my own beloved alma mater, the venerated UC San Diego. This may have been the inspiration for the famous party depicted in Netflix's, "Dear White People." We even had a guy leave a hangman's noose on one of the floors of the, "Hand of Knowledge," otherwise know as the UCSD Central Library
Good on you for understanding this one. Keep on coming towards the light. You will begin to gain knowledge.
Would the president have served Jewish students bratwurst and sauerkraut?
No, bratwurst and sauerkraut would not be Jewish enough to be a comparable experience.
For full offensiveness, you'd have to serve, like, matzo crackers, gefilte fish, and Manischewitz as your hors d'oeuvres.
I think it's telling that Lowery could fit the entire African American school population in his house. That speaks volumes about what kind of school this is.
That said, the entire affair sounds completely insensitive. But, for 'color blind' white people, sensitivity is sorely lacking. Both the Black and Brown population of that school should let the administration have it with what can only be righteous indignation. Then, maybe, sit down and talk about it. That is if the administration will shut up long enough to listen.
Thanks for the kind wishes guys! The storm hasn't moved upward much but hope springs eternal! I just read they will be turning off power at 6pm unless anything changes. So I'm off to do whatever else and fill a tub with water etc...
Definitely A. Methinks this mostly white school does not have enough liberal professors. I grew up eating homemade mac and cheese (Velveeta cheese) and cornbread as two staples of my diet.
My best guess is the prez is involved with some group like Larry Klaymann runs to get his ass fired and then sue the school on reverse-racism claims.
In today's climate there has to be something more than just a stoopid racist asshole being a stoopid racist asshole for the hell of it.
Yīshēng is a genius -- No that would be the German students. :-) Maybe lox, bagels and hamentaschen? But seriously, who ever heard of inviting people to dinner and not providing chairs?
Field Negro-
I believe I see the purpose of your experiment, and I find it clever. Correct me if I'm wrong. What I've noticed via the comments posted thus far is that white folks feel that they have the right to tell brown and black folks what to be upset about. Incredibly arrogant indeed. When will they realize that our insights are our own and therefore our reactions will be unique to us as well? There is no substitute for experience. And try as one might, none of us has ever been able to spend a day in another person's skin.
I know....I know...Chicago is worse.....
The food was kind of dumb, but mayyybe forgivable if it was cooked well. The cotton was at best insensitive; and the lack of chairs was a straight-up insult.
KEMELYEN said...
Field Negro-
I believe I see the purpose of your experiment, and I find it clever. Correct me if I'm wrong. What I've noticed via the comments posted thus far is that white folks feel that they have the right to tell brown and black folks what to be upset about. Incredibly arrogant indeed. When will they realize that our insights are our own and therefore our reactions will be unique to us as well? There is no substitute for experience. And try as one might, none of us has ever been able to spend a day in another person's skin.
I know....I know...Chicago is worse.....
9:48 AM
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Really, that's the experiment? Coool! Kemelyen you so smart!!! x*D
Libtard delusion and hysteria......
Time for reparations!
10:55 PM
Time??? You already get HUD,LINK,EBT,SNAP and a host of other entitlements because you don't work and taxpayers do.......
I love how you shudder at the mere idea of comeuppance. Which by the way, I hadn't even mentioned. That's a subject best addressed outside of a blog. The subject of my post was that whites feel "entitled" to offer their worthless opinions on matters that don't really concern them. I've not described myself as liberal or conservative because I'm not really sure and I don't think it matters. Lastly, I'm anything but hysterical. The nonsense of your posts only serves to drive my original point home. Feel free to engage but make sure you're armed.
Anonymous said...
Time for reparations!
10:55 PM
Time??? You already get HUD,LINK,EBT,SNAP and a host of other entitlements because you don't work and taxpayers do.......
11:08 AM
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Oh come onnn! Those programs are for everyone, they're not ONLY for American Blacks! I'm surprised you don't know that!!! (well actually not too surprised, I'm being facetious, I'm not surprised at all ;)
I'm not talking about charity, I'm talking about justice.
Reparations have to be in the trillions of dollars, and not just a one time check, oh nooooooo! Free university tuition, houses, land, business,etc., in the trillions! Why? Because this country's wealth was built with free Black African labor!!!
Trillions!Justice not charity! Making whole that which was torn asunder! That which was ripped apart, used, abused,torn spiritually, physically, emotionally and intellectually, forcefully expatriated and even after their 'freedom' were still subjected to Jim Crow and sundown laws!
Trillions! Capish?!
@Lilacpr...
Capish :)
Definitely A. And the "A" stands for ASSHOLE.
...yop
KEMELYEN said...
@Lilacpr...
Capish :)
11:56 AM
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;D
Blogger Sharon from WI said...
Yīshēng is a genius -- No that would be the German students. :-)
>>>>>>>>>
No Sharon, I MEANT what I wrote i.e Germans KILLED Jews during WWII.
Signed, a descendant of a Jacobi.
Capish
KEMELYEN said...
"What I've noticed via the comments posted thus far is that white folks feel that they have the right to tell brown and black folks what to be upset about."
- I'm white - *very* white. And suburban. I've lived in 8 US states and 2 Canadian provinces, and have had extended stays in a few more states. So that's the basis for my observations.
- Lowry's behavior is all too familiar, self-centered and passive-aggressive. That vindictive and resentful insult-dressed-as-a-compliment, followed by the inevitable "I didn't know that was insulting", or similar protestations of "innocence", is classic, and not in a good way.
- Lowry knew exactly what he was doing.
- The self-entitled, resentful, and overtly-aggressive people who come to his defense are also all too familiar to me, and their words and behaviors are all too classic, as is the narcissistic compulsion to inappropriately force their way into a situation and belittle, talk down to, anyone who does not 100% agree with, or adopt, their ((the narcissists')) own beliefs, no matter how baseless and wrong those beliefs might be.
-
- Really, the mental health and emotional maturity of such people is, at best, highly questionable. Which they of course deny - which is itself a clue, in that the more deeply-ingrained, and the more extreme, the mental illness, the more vehemently the person insists that s/he is the sane and intelligent one, and everyone else is crazy and stupid.
-
- The nut-baskets do not at all represent "all white people", but there are a whole bloody hell of a LOT of 'em. And the generalized dumbing-down of society in general leads to even less analytical ability, especially where critical self-analysis is concerned, and this, in turn, leads to in increase both an inability, and a deliberate refusal, in the numbers of people who question their own assumptions and their own passively-accepted beliefs.
-
- Still and all, the fact remains that these people can, and do, *choose* to either wallow in their beloved ignorance, or else STFU once in a while and at least *try* to learn something.
- Some of us do try to learn. Yeah, we still screw up, and yeah, we *can't* truly understand things we have never, and will never, experience. But some of us do try.
- Unfortunately, the people who try the hardest are usually "out there" actually working towards Justice, and don't have time to post on social media.
- So think about who it is who has time to sit around, not doing *anything* constructive, and look for places to go to, to merely insult people.
- Yeah, they know *exactly* what they're doing. So did Lowry.
Follow up from yesterday- http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/white-man-kills-black-men-family-in-louisiana
Gleason arrested and charged with 1st degree murder.
Hope Hurricane Maria decides to take a last minute detour, Lilac. Best of luck!
pterochromics:
I have found that when trying to understand the point of view of people of color, it helps to actually live with them for an extended period of time. They're just people.
-Doug in Oakland
@ KEMELYEN
Nobody is telling you what to be upset about. Anybody has the right to feel however they feel.
But society is not, in fact, compelled to operate based on your personal level of offense-taking. This Lowry fella should be judged based on basic standards of ethical behavior and whether he has breached them. Racism has an objective definition. It's not down to whatever happened to upset you on a Tuesday.
How utterly ridiculous! And they were dumb enough to stay! Malcolm said it best,"Anytime you are south of the Canadian border,you are down south"! All you people of european descent can go to hell,seriously!!!
I'm not talking about charity, I'm talking about justice.
>>>>>>
Word to the (whooteemoo's fat ass), mother!!
Maybe if the Prez had pulled out a bottle of 100 proof cotton gin and poured drinks all around, I could give him a pass on his racist insensibilities.
What? Cotton gin wasn't liquor?
"stalks of cotton"
You gotta be kidding me.
Where are the pics?
"'stalks of cotton'
You gotta be kidding me.
Where are the pics?"
Here you go. Cotton. As in, "jump down, spin around, pick a bale of."
Not a very common household decoration, in my experience.
KEMELYEN you have described yourself as a libtard and progressive left dingbat. Delusion is a terrible thing......
Ya' know, Judge. These young people could get indignant over a whole host agricultural products. Our ancestors cut sugar cane, harvested rice, tobacco, and produced indigo, probably more so combined than harvesting cotton. JS
"KEMELYEN you have described yourself as a libtard and progressive left dingbat. Delusion is a terrible thing......"
Then why do you like it so much?
-Doug in Oakland
I love this blog :)
Sugarcane to produce the rum that kept whitey comfortably numb.
What words did whitey on these islands fear worse than hurricane? Serf's up!
I pick D.
/education/2017/09/18/lipscomb-university-tennessee-president-meet-black-students-cotton-stalk-centerpiece-controversy/676739001
After reading this article, it seems to be another case of shoot the awkward yet well meaning ally. I mean, the guy has come out and said he will defend DACA students, diversity has shot up 357% since he came onboard in 2005. He has come out in front stating he wants to have conversations. What else can you ask for? Does that excuse him offending some people? No but at least he's trying to have the dialogue.
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2017/09/18/lipscomb-university-tennessee-president-meet-black-students-cotton-stalk-centerpiece-controversy/676739001/
KEMELYEN needs a box of crayons and a stress pony.
https://youtu.be/ySSdeYpoWBU
Lt. Commander Pussy isn't very good at the googles. He can't seem to find basic information. No wonder his dumb ass never served.
https://i2.wp.com/dakotafreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Screen-Shot-2017-09-19-at-19.33.42.jpg
'nother wingnut jumped the shark. Violence thy name is stoopid motherfucking whitey wingnuts.
The president of Lipscomb U has no respect for people of color and used his home to amuse himself by insulting them.
I wonder what else he has hiding up in his attic, under the floor boards, in his closet, and buried outside in his backyard...
Ceepy!!!!
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/09/18/few-arrests-as-chicago-carjackings-spike/
No Sharon, I MEANT what I wrote i.e Germans KILLED Jews during WWII.<<<
I see.
I find it amazing that Black people think everyone is out to get them. Do you think university presidents personally select decor or menus for events? They have "people" to do that, on the administrative staff. This was some underling's doing, and the underling may have done it deliberately as a way to go after the prez. The prez might not even have seen the room as it was set up until the event began. He probably walked in unawares and boom, political firestorm.
Not that there's more than a handful of university presidents who aren't flaming libtards these days, and any fratricide on the left is a good thing. The moral here is that the university should NOT be catering to the fragile egos of borderline retards. Mizzou is still collapsing from that decision. A conservative university prez would have told the Mizzou feetsbaw team, "You had scholarships to play football for the school. If you aren't going to play, your scholarships are revoked. You are also banned from all university property. Security will escort you to your dorms to get your things and take you to hotels until you can arrange for a ride home."
"the lack of chairs was a straight-up insult."
The "everyone is out to insult us" attitude is old. The tables could have been bar-style at elbow height, designed for mixer parties where people stand around. You'd expect the house of a university president to have such tables, because standing around and chatting is the entire purpose of their socials. You'd seat people at a table where it comes up to their chin?
I'll bet dollars to donuts that the exact same tables w/o chairs were used for the Latino event, and nobody complained... because Latinos aren't whining babies like Black people are.
"Time for reparations!"
You get "reparations" of over $700,000 apiece over a lifetime... not including the radically higher costs you impose on the criminal justice system.
"Reparations have to be in the trillions of dollars"
You've already had it, and squandered it; $700k * 37 million = $25.9 trillion. You have to go. You don't have to go back, but you won't be staying here.
... oh, and it's spelled "capisce".
Whoa. James can spell a word? When did this happen? Maybe his dumb ass actually opened a dictionary. Yeah right. He's too busy rubbing a cat's butt bald with his weird ass.
You have to go. You don't have to go back, but you won't be staying here.
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Hey pussy, make me go! I'll get with your weird ass right after I'm finished slapping your mom in the face with my black snake.
"Hey pussy, make me go!"
You want the Medgar Evers treatment? You realize that if a million White men decided to go all Dylann Roof/Ken Gleason at once there would be nothing the police could do about it, and it would be too late to escape? You'd definitely be gone, though.
For those of you who can't do arithmetic (which is most of you), 1 million is about 0.5% of the White population of the USA. That's all it would take. They'd rule by sheer numbers, as there would be more of them than police and active-duty military combined.
"right after I'm finished slapping your mom in the face with my black snake."
You probably would dig up an urn just to stick your dick in someone's ashes, except for one thing: digging is work, and Black people don't do that any more.
Yawn. Ok pussy let's see you try. I'll slap you in the face with my dick just like I do your mom every night. Come get some bitch.
I'm not sure...?
At a school with so few minorities maybe the staff thought they were making each ethnic group feel 'at home'.
I went to a school where I was the only Black male not on a basketball scholarship (Six Black males total - in the entire school) and often the administration didn't quite know how to treat me.
'The Ten' (about a dozen girls in a social supper club) listed, 'How to deal with John' on their discussion list for one of their weekend getaways.
Standing isn't really that big of a deal in the case of most social mixers - it's often expected.
Cotton is actually fairly common for fall decor. Done woman's complaint to Hobby Lobby for even selling it has been popping up on social media.
Sure, if he was making an effort to reach out to these groups he probably should have had a more culturally astute party planner but I don't think I'd catch the vapours over someone's poorly planned efforts.
@ Desertflower - Hope you're safe after the storm.
@ Bold James - $700k? I wish! If that's true then someone owes me some money.
But seriously - I've just finished 21 days straight of volunteertearing. I went to the hardest hit area of this town to help my cousin's boyfriend after his house flooded. The insurance companies told everyone to keep everything as-is until they could send an adjuster out. I really didn't care what they said so we took pictures and took everything to the street. We tore out floors, drywall and anything else that was contaminated with flood waters. We sprayed everything with bleach and then mold killer and a mold resistant primer. It took two weeks before insurance adjusters could come out and by that time we helped anyone who would accept it. His area is inhabited by mostly white people who live near a river on low lands and most lacked the proper insurance. Those who listened to their insurance companies have homes that are so contaminated that they will have to be torn down (the flood waters contained sewage and other toxins) while those who did the work to save their own homes will probably be able to repair, rebuild and keep them. Now all of these trailer park living, low-land building rednecks are clamouring for D-SNAP, Red Cross,FEMA,... assistance.
My house had dirt imported so that it is high above grade. I have a Generac whole house generator, a well, my trees are trimmed and pruned back and I have the proper insurance. Now my taxes have to be spent to save swamp rats who didn't have the sense to build their homes on piers or those who didn't accept our help to save their own crappy houses - and they're begging for government assistance? They're too poor or too dumb to properly prepare and they get assistance while I have to pay for my own repairs? Fuck that! They should have been better prepared!
Libatards are so shallow and meek.Crayons,safe spaces and stress animals.
"You probably would dig up an urn just to stick your dick in someone's ashes, except for one thing: digging is work, and Black people don't do that any more."
12:28 AM
+1!!! outdated farm equipment that working class tax payers must support at every level so they may survive..........
coons get back to the cotton fields as this is all you are good for.....don't slack off the cotton is ready now. like old times except now you get paid.
Conservatards are so stupid, fox news and the dumbest president ever. Now go sit in a corner and piss yourself while holding your gun. Pussies.
+1!!! outdated farm equipment that working class tax payers must support at every level so they may survive..........
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except MY tax dollars support white trash hooked on meth.
coons get back to the cotton fields as this is all you are good for.....don't slack off the cotton is ready now. like old times except now you get paid.
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tell your mom to get back on her knees. That's all whites are good for. Well that and monster trucks.
Meanwhile, Black people do anything they can to get out of Black countries and into White countries.
Our patience with your ingratitude and animosity is coming to an end.
I doubt that many readers know anything about Lipscomb University. It is a Church of Christ College, which means that it is an extreme fundamentalist school. Most Church of Christ Colleges require that all faculty be members of the Church of Christ. Daily Church attendance is a requirement for faculty and students. Although Lipscomb is considered a "liberal" Church of Christ school, it is far less worldly than almost any other college or university in the United States. There are few non-white members of the Church of Christ and those who are, generally define themselves by their religion rather than their ethnic background. When 50% of your life is spent on the Bible, it doesn't leave much time to learn about other cultures.
I suspect that the President of Lipscomb was well-intentioned. The decor reflects the naivety of the Church of Christ. Collard greens and corn bread for African Americans and tacos for Latinos demonstrates simplistic racial stereotyping and lack of sophistication. All African Americans don't have to like collard greens and all Latinos don't have to like tacos. Don't try to serve New Orleanians gumbo unless your chef knows New Orleans and is damn good. Cotton plants likely come to mind when Lipscomb personnel fairly ignorant of the world think of Black people. People who believe or have to pretend to believe that the world was created 10,000 years ago are unlikely to know much about African-American history and never think about it. This is another instance where incompetence and ignorance is a better explanation than malice.
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