I am a white student at Tennessee State University, a Historically Black University. First, let me say I have never had any problems with anyone there. That’s not what I am posting about. I know some people who claim to have been verbally abused there because they were white, but I have had no such experiences.

No, what I am posting about is something I noticed at school yesterday. A black student was wearing camo pants, what looked like combat boots, and a black muscle shirt. Hanging around his neck, strung on a shoelace to create a necklace, was a banana. Written on the banana was “Ape” and a number. (I won’t specify this number just to keep him anonymous, in case his friends stumble onto this blog).

The only thing I could figure out is that maybe he was pledging for a fraternity and this was part of an initiation or hazing event. I just thought it was completely irresponsible and hypocritical for black students to refer to their peers as “apes”, even in jest.

I guess I just don’t understand why someone would take something that has been used as a racial slur, of sorts, and call each other that same thing. Kind of like the n-word, I suppose. They call each other a variation of that as a sign of friendship or whatever. I just don’t get it.