Last weekend, a white sorority step team won first place in the Sprite Step Off competition, beating out black competitors from Divine Nine organizations. Several people are pretty bothered by this. Howard University’s student newspaper, The Hilltop, wrote an article rounding up people’s reactions to Zeta Tau Alpha sorority’s victory. While some were happy for the team, others were perplexed and upset: “Sprite didn’t do a good job explaining the show; they manipulated the crowd. I thought the Zetas were more of a showcase. I thought this was a Divine Nine event,” said one student.
“Sprite used the step off to exploit black culture,” said another.
RELATED: White Sorority Wins Sprite Step-Off Competition
And, finally, “How are you going to take something that’s ours, and give it away?”
That notion—that a particular form of cultural expression can be “ours,” for Black people only—is common, and isn’t entirely without merit.
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After all, over the centuries, Black people in the U.S. have been the creators of many cultural institutions, trends, and activities. While white folks were busy banning us from … pretty much every single thing ever, we went off created our own legacy. So things like HBCUs, the Divine Nine, and hip-hop were all born. And at the outset, these things were very much ours—we were the primary participants and happy to remain as such, and people of other races weren’t clamoring to associate themselves with us anyway. But as American society has become less segregated, so too has American culture, creating opportunities for several awkward “white interloper” moments just like the step off.
Remember Joshua Packwood, the white Morehouse valedictorian from a few years back? What about the white woman who won this year’s Miss Hampton pageant? And surely no one could forget Eminem, white rapper extraordinaire. In each of these instances, the sense that white people were swooping in and “beating us at our own game” was keenly felt by some people, many of whom weren’t shy about expressing their ire.
RELATED: JUST CURIOUS: Is It Racist To Hate On The White Miss Hampton?
But understandable as that response may be, Black people simply can’t have it both ways. We can’t demand genuine respect for our music, our traditions, and our colleges and then expect people merely to worship from afar. It’s only natural that respect and admiration for historically Black cultural traditions would spawn a desire among people of all races to participate in them.
Even if that participation means competition—academic, musical, or otherwise—we should be confident enough in our own abilities that we aren’t compelled to practice exclusion. And in those moments when are out-stepped by a white group, out-rapped by a white emcee, or outperformed in the classroom by a white student, that isn’t a signal that the outsider needs to be thrown out. Rather it means we need to work harder and do better, the same as we would if someone of our own race had bested us.
at 1:21 am
Hell yeah, I watched that joint and all the contestants that performed, no bullsh*t, them broads got bizzy. Originality, crisp movements, and the matrix sh*t was way Fly. Big Up!!
at 12:15 am
Were they better than all the rest? If they were then they deserve it whether they are white or black…when are we going to get past this racist s**t…it is so dam tiring at this point!
at 5:31 pm
I’ll make this plain and simple… If the white crew was Black there wouldn’t even be a question on the matter… They were the better crew hands down… Play the performances again without looking at them and LISTEN, the crowd response alone tells you who won…. Disregard the ignorance in people saying “White people always trying to take our style” I’d rather have those same white people appreciating and giving our tradition it’s proper respect and doing it on a highly respected level as they did (keep it real…)than to have those same white people repping the kkk and helping keep Black people from prosperity… What about the crew that came out doing the Rhythm Nation routine??? Are you kidding me? In my book they lost right then… Don’t take the stage doing someones routine, choreograph your own show and be respected for the full creativity…
YES! THE WHITE CREW SHOULD HAVE WON IT ALL! (BE REAL AND GIVE PROPS WHERE THEY ARE DUE…)
-GONE-
at 11:44 am
It is truly sad, ZTA won, I watched the videos and they won simple and plain. Bring your A game or dont come at all. I am ashamed at the whining, and more ashamed of any perception that Coke was pressured into making it a tie. This is almost as bad as boxing. Big money involved typically begins abuses such as this and we have to do much better than this.
What would these same people say if someone jumped up tomorrow and said, we need to recount the vote, McCain is actually the President! Sheesh. Where is the pride our forefathers DIED for? You are NOT entitled to anything in this world. Things are not equal today BUT they are the BEST (as far as equal conditions) they have EVER been. If you cannot make it today, you could NEVER have made it in America.
Nuff said!
at 10:25 pm
lol….it was a competition…jsut goes to show that black people can be racist too…..
at 9:56 pm
um…i agree with cherron..if they were actually the best group. why not have them win. its a COMPETITION.
at 6:46 pm
If they were the best ones then they should have won. However, I will say that sometimes white people are given more accolades for doing things at a mediocre level or higher if it is something that black people usually do. For example dancing, singing r & b, or rapping. I mean is Eminem really the best rapper, or is eveyone just surprised he can rap well and be white? When it’s the other way around, black people have to go above and beyond to get recognition a lot of the time. Hopefully it was just a step towards equality and a fair competition.
at 1:18 pm
From as far back as I can remember, step competitions have always been about who steps the best. Clearly, Zeta Tau out-stepped AKA and DST and it wasn’t even close to being a tie! I think they just wanted to do what was historically correct and that was wrong! How can we expect other races to have an open and accepting attitude if we don’t ourselves? You will never win everybody over but when there are constant cries of racism on our part, how can we try to hold other races to a higher standard than we operate at? If everyone would stop whining and bring their A-game whenever they are doing anything, we would be more successful as a whole!
at 12:37 pm
yall kno them white gurls won it, stop making everything a race thing
at 8:36 pm
HELLLLL NO!
Back when whites didnt even want us to participate in their “fraternity” and “sororities” – we had to set up our own.
WE CREATED STEPPING…I go to an PWI and at least they got respect..whites or latinos wont step out of respect for us. and if they do they ask the Black fraternities and sororities first.
Not only that…but whites and their social groups have access to funding that our social groups do not. That should have been an all Black competition.
and the nerve of a person who has a profit like “I_Like_Thugz” to talk about the ignorance of others.Idiot, our social and economic conditions havent changed since the 1800s!!! let along 1910…
go get ur edumacation from ya thug b/f.
at 7:44 pm
its awfully sad that its 2010 and we got people still thinkin like its 1910. wtf?
at 6:06 pm
Those girls stepped their behinds off, a little weak towards the end but they were very good. I can’t see why race should be an issue in this situation. If we try to segregate different events what else will that lead to? Too many people died to end segregation so why try to bring it back. So, I guess the other sororities will have to bring their A-game next time.
at 12:52 am
God created us all and when it’s all said and done black or white our hearts pump the same color red and our money is the same color green. So why in 2010 are we still making race an issue. I realize racism still exist however change has to start somewhere. Is there anywhere in the “step handbook” that says you have to be a certain color to step to the beat of your heart and soul? They ZETA girls tore it up hands down and earn their place in history. Let it go already!!!
at 10:50 pm
I’m so tired of hearing about this crap. Those girls threw it up, hands down! Let it go. Everybody whined and cried about the fact that they showed up every other group that laced up boots that evening, and they shared the prize. Hell, they should be ashamed to win it that way. Deep inside they know what the real is, and so does everyone else who’s typing at a keyboard right now.
at 10:41 pm
Those girls won that. They weren’t given anything. Coca-cola should be ashamed of themselves for backing down and making them share that title. What kills me are those same people who are doing back flips because we now have a black president, regardless of how good or bad a job he is doing; are the ones upset about ZTA winning a step show. The AKAs taught ZTA how to step. You cannot beg for equality and not give it.
at 9:20 pm
I think if the white ladies were tasteful with their performance and clothing- choosing to dress like the Matrix
What if they would have dressed differently, or chose different music, then how do you think the opinions/comments would have sounded?