The racist painting at the Blue Bottle coffee shop with thecolonial overtone should be taken down. Yes, racist -- and thispainting, boy, is it sharp in undertone. By first glance you noticedead center these so called "seven faces of culture," a Mongol, aViking, an African tribesmen, a Roman soldier and what appears tobe an Eskimo, a Zulu, and an Incan. Romans, Zulus, Incans, Eskimosand Vikings were never considered a "race." Moving left, 19thcentury British or French colonials on a ship peer east throughtelescopes at the seven faces that seem pushed into our notion ofHeaven, which falls to the right all the way to the top edge of thepainting. Interesting how the colonials are looking east, and thefaces are staring straight forward, like good children. Was asystem of patriarchy the optimal colonial policy for "tamingsavages"?
Due to poor craftsmanship, I have trouble interpreting what allof the "races" actually are. Regardless, race is a social concept,not a biological one; we are all one race. More variation existswithin groups than among them. Diversity among humans is vast.Science is just barely beginning to understand why.
Now, anyone who knows history knows what early European colonialadministrators did to countries and people who were not of Europeanorigin, not Christian and lived in the Far East. For those who lacka background in, history let me give a brief description: Theyforced them into slavery, made them practice agriculture andChristianity, and if they tried to refuse the colonials killedthem, usually by torture and fire. I will not get into all thebloody details like rape and child murder, but let's just say Iinterpret this painting as saying: "Thank God white people tamedthem savages."
The painting clearly states that the painter, if he didresearch, looked at old texts to gather his information. Inquestioning the owner of the Blue Bottle about why this paintingwas up, he said he paid the artist $3000 to paint an image thatrepresented "Ball State culture" and to throw in something aboutcoffee. As I am told, the painting is supposed to representdiversity. Wrong! By simplifying culture into seven distinctcategories, the painter not only misrepresents the concept ofdiversity, but supports radical nationalism, patriotism, racism,colonialism and terrorism. The concept of race extends back to whenearly European colonialists used race classification to keep trackof those peoples they conquered. From this classification systemcame Nazi Eugenics, Social Darwinism and racial segregation -- andnow a painting at the Blue Bottle.
That treachery does not need to be expressed in a painting at acoffee shop, especially on a college campus where actual peoplelive. But, I was in line behind a young lady that was of Asiandecent, who recognized what I had been seeing for months. She saidto the owner, "Why do you have that painting hanging up there?" Heexplained he was trying to represent Ball State culture and askedif she liked it. She said with a scowl, "No, I do not like it. Itis racist." The owner tried to defend his capitalist token ofcolonial indignity, but his talk was without effort. She huffed andpromptly left without her coffee. Go take a look for yourself andtell the owner of the Blue Bottle to take that painting down.
Chris Wendt, Kate Fitzgibbon and Michelle Johnson
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
