Amid the tailgating festivities prior to UH’s Sept. 20 game against the University of Nevada Las Vegas, some individuals were surprised when a Confederate battle flag appeared among the proud sea of Cougar red. Briefly located at the fraternity tailgating tent of the Gamma Mu chapter of Kappa Alpha, this flag served as a rude awakening.
On a campus that constantly advocates diversity and inclusion of all religions, cultures and races, this flag — often associated with racism — understandably caused contention.
The Confederate Battle Flag was created during the birth of the Confederate States of America in 1861. This secession movement was developed by seven slave states in the South who supported slavery because it benefited white plantation owners economically. Though some argue the flag is now a symbol of Southern heritage and pride, there’s no mistaking the painful symbol as a reminder of the South’s racist past.
KA President Connor Benson said he associates the Confederate battle flag with racism, believes it to be a very insensitive symbol and did not want it at a University event.
“I do not condone that symbol, and we do not allow that in our house or at any events. We’ve never had that at any of our events,” Benson said. “So when I saw (the flag), I immediately took action and told (the person who brought the flag that) he needed to get rid of that and leave right away, which he did. And when he came back without it, he was allowed in.”
The bearer of this symbol, who remains unnamed and who Benson confirmed was a KA member who once attended Houston Baptist University but now resides in Alabama, was immediately instructed by UH Kappa Alpha’s to take the offensive flag elsewhere.
“I just know that he’s a friend of one of the older brothers, who’s no longer even a member, he’s a graduated brother,” said UH KA Parliamentarian Aaron Alvarado. “He happened to be in town, wanted to go to our tailgate and he showed up with a Confederate flag. And, obviously, we turned him away as soon as possible.”
While I do find it unlikely that a KA member from a different chapter waltzed into a UH KA tent and did not introduce himself to one member, especially at a fraternity that prides itself on “gentlemanly conduct,” KA did handle this situation quickly and effectively, as witnesses confirm the flag was only present at the tent for a few minutes.
Despite its fleeting presence at UH’s tailgate, the Confederate battle flag still managed to make its bitter mark. Some students who spotted this flag were enraged that such a symbol of an oppressive time in the U.S. managed to wave at a UH event.
Both The Cougar and Student Government Association President Charles Haston were contacted following the tailgate controversy.
“I thought this was an isolated issue, but obviously it got out further than I thought it would … then (Haston) informed me that people had seen it on the guy’s truck,” Benson said. “I didn’t see it, I didn’t know what the guy drives. I don’t know where he was coming from.”
After speaking with Benson, Haston said that he believes Benson and other KA members handled this event accordingly, and that it is important that the leader of the fraternity stepped up and managed the situation — a situation that could easily have turned into a racial disagreement. Some students on Facebook threatened to burn the flag if they saw it again.
Racial insensitivity is not a new issue for Greek organizations as a whole.
In 2002, the University of Virginia reprimanded the KA and Zeta Psi fraternities for three of their members dressing in “blackface” for a Halloween party; the fraternities were acquitted a month later.
The lens swiveled to the University of Alabama in 2009 when the Alpha Kappa Alpha order members wore Confederate uniforms and paraded around carrying battle flags during their “Old South” festivities, according to nbcnews.com. Reportedly, UA KA fraternity paused their parade in front of the house of a historically black sorority.
In 2010, a year following the parade at UA, KA bylaws were adapted to say that the Old South Ball must be conducted with “restraint and dignity and without displays of trappings and symbols which might be misinterpreted and objectionable to the general public,” including, but not limited to, Confederate uniforms. Prior to these incidents, the KA laws proclaimed in 2001 that the Confederate Battle Flag be “prohibited from any chapter house, lodge or meeting place.”
Greek organizations, regardless of order, have a tumultuous history of making headlines surrounding insensitivity, racism and the Confederate Battle Flag.
In April, Fox News reported on the closure of University of Mississippi’s chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon following an accusation that three fraternity brothers tied a noose around the neck of the university’s statue of James Meredith, the first black student to enroll in Ole Miss in 1962.
The University of Alabama faced controversy again when The Crimson White, UA’s student newspaper, ran an article about the segregation of Greek organizations in 2013. It was appalling to many to find out that there was still a separation of races in the 21st century at an institution of higher education.
“I would rather us not comment on what the Confederate States of America stood for, because the Confederate States of America, whether we like it or not, existed 150 years ago and should not be reflected on what we experience now in the South,” Alvarado said. “Obviously, there are people who don’t let it go. But here, at KA at UH, we do not represent the Confederate States of America.”
Regardless of how we wish to be seen now, the reality is racism in America still exists. If we keep attempting to hide these acts of racial stimuli, we are just shying away from ways to change it.
As a whole, Americans generally like to say that race is no longer an issue and we have become colorblind. While we may naively say that the South has been eradicated of racism, the residue of this unfortunate time still exists, part of which is in the form of the Confederate Battle Flag.
Greek organizations often focus on maintaining their traditions and legacy, but in order to progress into a more racially accepting time, these disrespectful acts must continue to be acknowledged and dealt with.
Opinion editor Kelly Schafler is a print journalism junior and may be reached at [email protected].
I didn’t notice the flag, but did notice the offensive offense Coach Travis Bush is making the team and fans suffer through.
I am happy you brought this to our attention. I believe it is a good topic in which we should educate ourselves so that we do not misunderstand the use of the flag. I have traveled to many parts of the southern United States were I have seen this flag held by both white and black people.
Local people in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and other southern states consider this flag to be a symbol of southern pride. A lot of people who aren’t familiar with the meaning flag consider it to represent racism because of the time period it was created during the civil war.
The flag also known as, “Stars and Bars”, was created by women in Richmond, Virginia and was given to confederate soldiers to march in the battle of Bull Run, in July of 1861. In the flag, “The number of stars, representing the number of seceding states, increased to 13 after Missouri was admitted into the Confederacy on November 28, 1861.” Showing that the meaning of the flag supported states seceding from the union and not meaning anything to do with slavery.
I understand that during the Civil War the South was in favor of slavery, but we should not mistake the intention of this flag. In our society today it is used by all types of people with different intentions such as racist groups, southern nationalists, and even rappers. My point being that we should first understand the person’s intention before judging him.
Personally I myself have no association with the flag and don’t believe it should be as influential in Texas as it does in other states in the south. Even though Texas was annexed into the Confederacy later on in the history of the Civil War, we still have our own battle flags from the Texas Revolution that we consider to be a symbol of our “states pride” that is still offensive to some Mexican-Americans.
Source:
http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/19424
You are mistaken about Texas’ history in the civil war. We were one of the original seven states to secede and were a full-fledged member of the Confederate States of America before the CSA constitution was drafted.
Also, Stars and Bars is usually a nickname given to the actual CSA Flag, not the battle flag (though sometimes mistakenly so). The battle flag, as was displayed at the game, is known as a “Southern Cross”.
If you’d like to know more about the flags of the CSA, here’s a link: http://www.usflag.org/history/confederatestarsandbars.html
The fact that this symbol of the south continues to upset and offend the masses on the far left of the IQ bell curve will never cease to amaze me. It is a symbol of southern heritage and pride – a symbol that our forefathers carried into battle generations ago. It isn’t meant for you (as a tool of offense), it’s meant for us (as a banner of pride).
Put simply, get over it.
Also, I’d be interested to see someone attempt to take and burn my flag. If it didn’t end in a violent altercation, it would certainly end with them in the back of a police car – bound for where they belong, a steel cell with gray bars.
Now how about addressing anti-White racism, which is far more prevalent in today’s society than the imaginary White racism is. Whites bend over backwards to kiss NIGGER’s asses and still NIGGERS rape, rob and kill Whites more than ever.
I can only assume this was written by a troll whose main purpose was to get attention. Otherwise you are ignorant and brain-washed.
Why is this comment still up?
Flagged.
Truth hit a little too close to home?
Thank you to KA President Connor Benson and other KA members who took immediate and appropriate action to remove this offensive flag. And thank you Kelly Schafler for writing this article and helping to educate and bring attention to this issue. The Confederate flag symbolizes dehumanization, injustice and prejudice to the majority of Americans. I’ve heard arguments saying the Confederate flag is no
longer representative of slavery, and how it now represents
“Southern pride and heritage.” But I don’t buy this argument since the heritage is from a period when the South was fighting to keep slavery around as a means of economic prosperity. It is insensitive and ignorant to not consider how this symbol is seen and felt by most Americans.
If you think that the civil war was fought for slavery and not states’ rights, you’re a fool.
The secession was because the states felt they reserved the right to capitalize upon slave labor. However, it is said that many influential Southerners were proponents of gradual emancipation, but factions in the north demanded immediate emancipation. The war was started when the union invaded the South, citing that secession was illegal.
The CSA Battle Flag represents the fight of our ancestors to defend their homes from a union military invasion of the South. A South they loved enough to give their lives in its defense. They only wanted their freedom. So say what you will about the South, but what’s mine is mine just like what’s yours is yours. No one can tell me what that flag represents accept me.
I’m am a Native Red Skin/ Black hair red skin American! Get out of my country! Close my borders! You still are invading my land! Take the feather out of your head! This land is not your land, it’s my people who are dealing with modern day slavery! Your government is illegal still to this day! You people are full of illusions and shit and I chant the earth falls from under your feet!
The bottom line is, this is America. And it is not against any law or even any university bylaw to fly the flag in public. Others attempting to burn the flag would be against the law. I wish you would’ve mentioned that fact in your article. Aside from that, it’s not your symbol to designate one way or the other. It’s ours. And it represents what we say it represents. Be offended all you want. Frown upon it. Publicly ridicule it. But in the end, it’s not against the law to offend anyone and we have an unalienable right to fly it in public.