"Race, Class and Rape at Duke" by a visiting professor at Duke

[bobbieinok]

http://counterpunch.org/tyson04032006.html

April 3, 2006

A Tragic and Painful History That Still Resonates

Race, Class and Rape at Duke

By TIMOTHY B. TYSON

....

The spirit of the lynch mob lived in that house on Buchanan Boulevard, regardless of the truth of the most serious charges. The ghastly spectacle takes its place in a history where African- American men were burned at the stake for "reckless eyeballing" -- that is, looking at a white woman -- and white men kept black concubines and mistresses and raped black women at will.

It matters, of course, what happened. But the dynamics of race, power and violence that have marred our history remain with us. When the men of one group have most of the power and privilege and see themselves as above the law, that will always be a recipe for abusive relationships with women from other groups, sometimes physically violent, more often spiritually violent.

What baffles me is that young men who have had available to them the finest liberal arts education that money can buy have managed not to learn its highest lessons. I am disappointed in them, to be sure, but I am also disappointed in myself and my colleagues. Surely we are better teachers than that.

But all that is so much whining.

Now we can only reach out in a spirit of healing to the communities that have been hurt. Now we can turn back to our teaching, put aside pedantry and cut to the heart of what education means: understanding that we are all human beings, that we are here to provide illumination and sustenance for each other, and that God and our highest human understandings all call us to better things.

Timothy B. Tyson, author of "Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power" and "Blood Done Sign My Name," is a senior research scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies and visiting professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture in the Divinity School of Duke University.

[ugarte]

1. It's jock culture, party culture

The percentage of students who actually attend college in order to broaden themselves intellectually, as opposed to those who just want to party and get a high-paying job, is probably miniscule.

That a lot of white kids are racist and sexist in the bargain...well, that's no surprise, either. Duke is taking the heat, but I doubt it's different anywhere else.

[ThomCat]

2. I'm convinced it's just "Rape Culture."

Because rape is too common, and it's not limited to jocks or people at parties.

And because too many people condone rape.
Too many people make excuses for rape.
Too many people defend rapists and deny they did anything wrong.
Too many people attack the victim and blame her for the rape.

When people who are raped get so support, no sympathy, no understanding, and no justice it's not jocks and it's not just party culture. It's our entire culture. It's our social culture, our religious culture, our political culture, and our educational culture.

We have a rape culture.