A Massachusetts College Canceled Their Halloween Band Because They Were “Too White”
11 years ago

A college in Massachusetts is being placed under the national microscope after canceling on a band that was scheduled to play at their Halloween party, because they were “too white.” Hampshire College, a small liberal arts school in Amherst, released the following statement after reportedly giving the super caucasian Afrobeat band “Shokazoba” the boot.

The student organizers of Hampshire Halloween contracted with five bands to play as part of the entertainment line-up on Friday night. On an online event site, some members of our student community questioned the selection of one band, asking whether it was a predominantly white Afrobeat band and expressing concerns about cultural appropriation and the need to respect marginalized cultures. The students tried to be clear that they meant no disrespect to the members of the band in question, but wished to raise larger questions and have a deeper conversation within our own community.

The band, who was reportedly pissed about the abrupt cancelation, blames the thirty students who went to the event organizers to complain. They released the following statement on Facebook, essentially calling the students racist.

Does anyone want to know what happened to our set at Hampshire Halloween tonight? Ask the Hampshire College HYPE Committee and Dean Pam Tinto. 30 students complained that we were too white to play Afrobeat, so we were canceled. Racist much? Please protest on our behalf and spread the word. Today, we were discriminated against by people who had never even met us or heard one note of our music. Everybody loses tonight, but next week… 10/31 in Burlington VT for real Halloween playing for real people with real appreciation. Now that’s what I’m talking about

The “HYPE Committee” then called a meeting with the band to ease some of the tensions after the story went public. It didn’t go well.

The band’s keyboard player, Jason Moses, told The Republican he and his bandmates met with the event’s organizers, who partly blamed Shokazoba for the outcome, saying they enhanced tensions “by responding to the negativity voiced online.”

The school has agreed to pay Shokazoba in full for their troubles. Moral of the story? Don’t hire an Afrobeat band for a Halloween party.

[via Gawker]

***

  2. ThunderFucked

    If they were a black band, and said they couldn’t play because they were “too black” this would go to the supreme court.

    11 years ago at 3:04 pm
  4. PhiKapp15

    I think the band has “too many fedoras”, but hell if I am 45 making my living in an afrobeat band that’s the least of my concerns.

    11 years ago at 3:08 pm
  6. Puke_and_Rally

    Not only is Hampshire a small Liberal Arts school, its a damn feminist college. Makes sense that they thought something so small as this wasn’t politically correct. Fucking Dykes.

    11 years ago at 4:49 pm
  7. Ohio_Bobfrats

    Notice these so called “activists” are the least color blind people. Are we trying to live in a color blind society or are we trying to live in a society of forced integration where people of all races need to be present just because of their race?

    11 years ago at 8:39 pm
  8. TrickleDown

    Hah, “cultural appropriation.” Someone yell at the Mexican on my block for wearing a t-shirt and watching TV, then. He’s culturally appropriating the Europeans. Oh, the horror.

    11 years ago at 9:35 pm
  9. TheGent

    I completely agree with these guys. I mean, I hate it when I see a black guy speaking English, driving a car, wearing a suit, and using modern technology. They need to stop appropriating MUH CULTURE!

    11 years ago at 1:59 am
  10. Salute My Shorts

    Their mascot is the “Blacksheep” (appropriate as fuck), but I think their use of the word black in a negative context is racist…

    11 years ago at 6:12 am