NEWS
Group combats racist behavior
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by Kelsey Willems
Thursday, December 2, 2004
Several University of Wisconsin students met Tuesday night to discuss and decide on a plan of action against allegedly racist dress codes enforced at three bars in Madison.
Students at the meeting see the dress codes at Brothers’, Johnny O’s and Madison Avenue as racist, specifically discriminating against African-Americans.
UW sophomore Lonnie West cited an experience he had at Johnny O’s in which he thinks he was discriminated against because he is black.
“I walked in about 7 p.m., talked to the woman at the bar and waited for about five or 10 minutes without service. A few minutes later a guy walks up to me and says, ‘You’re wearing a jersey, you have to leave.’ Thing is, they supposedly don’t enforce their dress code until 9 p.m.,” West said. “I don’t feel like this should be happening in Madison.”
Students who attended the meeting decided it is necessary to take action to repeal these racist “anti hip-hop” dress codes. Several tactics were discussed, including filing a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission.
“This is a Madison issue, not just a UW issue,” UW senior Kyle Myhre said.
The students have planned a picket for Friday night, Dec. 3. They will meet at 9:30 in the Trophy Room across from the Rathskeller in Memorial Union beforehand to discuss their plan of action.
“The time is definitely now to fight this,” UW alum Katie Ray said.
At their picket Friday night, the students plan to hand out fliers with information about their cause. Their goal is to convince patrons of the bars to go somewhere else for the night, specifically somewhere that does not have “racist” dress codes.
UW senior Jon Mungen came to the meeting to initially just listen. After spending some time at the meeting, however, Mungen became convinced that this is a serious issue in Madison.
“You hear a lot about how we try to increase diversity, but then there’s something like this that closes the door. Hearing that this is a bigger issue makes it more important,” Mungen said.
The dress codes in question at Brothers’, Johnny O’s and Madison Avenue ban such clothing items as sports jerseys, athletic wear and bandanas. Brothers’ also bans sleeveless t-shirts, hats not facing forwards or backwards, wave caps and headbands.
In an interview, Jon Okonek, owner of both Johnny O’s and Madison Avenue, denied any ties between the dress codes he puts in place and racism.
“How can you be racist against an article of clothing? We turn away 100 white people to every one African-American person,” Okonek said.
Okonek also said that the dress code his venues enforce encourages patrons to be on their best behavior. He said patrons who abide by the dress code “behave better and respect the place more.”
If people have a specific problem or incident in which they were dealt with inappropriately at either Madison Avenue or Johnny O’s, Okonek said to contact him personally.
Okonek also said hundreds of customers tell him how much they enjoy the dress code, including African Americans.
“We have no problem with the persons themselves. What we want to eliminate is a bunch of people coming in here looking like they just came from a basketball game. I don’t think you go out on a weekend night in a sweat suit,” Okonek said.
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 8:08am):
Why is the code "racist" in the headline but "allegedly racist" in the article? Isn't that inflammatory?
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 9:22am):
what a loaded headline. you already give the impression there is something wrong going on when it is one person's complaint over a policy that was wrongly enforced outside of posted hours.
this dress code isn't racist at all. if you go to L'Etoile, generally regarded as the classiest eating establishment in Madison, you would probably not be seated wearing "hip-hop" garb. Would you go to a job interview in a throwback jersey and sweatpants? doubt it. johnny o's and brothers don't want to be your average dive. they want to attract people who can pay alot more than the average student, as well as the average student who wants to waste his or her own money.
now, if the employee in question enforced this dress code before posted hours, that is a complaint you take to the owner.
this isn't racist, it's simply a policy against what many percieve as bad taste. dress codes against "athletic wear" have existed for years. just because the "hip-hop culture" has adopted this stuff as its wardrobe does not mean owners must change their dress codes for fear of being labeled "racist." fashions come and go, but taste is generally a constant.
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 10:17am):
but this is different. the dress codes at brothers and johnny o's aren't meant to create "classy" atmospheres (like the e'toile or kimia ones are)... they're very specifically targeting a certain STYLE of clothing.
a beat up trucker hat, a dirty t-shirt and sweatpants are okay... but a bandana and a jersey are not.
see the difference?
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 10:27am):
"see the difference?"
Yes, but that doesn't mean that the headline isn't inflammatory. If the article refers to the code as "allegedly" racist, the headline shouldn't shout to the world that it is definitively racist. Just because I happen to agree that it is doesn't make the sensationalism ok.
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 1:13pm):
Whatever, just use common sense. Where are the fights and all the trouble at bars? It is where you find hip hop clothing and the people that wear them. It isn't rocket science, they just don't want their places tore up and the police to get called.
The less the police come to Johnny O's and Brothers the less likely they are to get busted for letting in 18 year old sluts.
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 1:34pm):
to #4: i agree. the headline isn't very journalistic. i was responding to the other post.
to #5: there's fights all the time outside places like mondays, brats, frat parties, everywhere. venue owners don't want fights? hire some better security that isn't afraid to diffuse tense sitautions before they get out of hand (regent st. retreat/annex, we're looking at you). don't use racial profiling.
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 2:04pm):
"stillwaters"+"hip-hop night"+"shooting"= anti hip-hop dress codes. don't need a math major to figure that out.
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 4:21pm):
Racial Profiling? Plenty of white, asian, latino people wear jerseys and hip hop clothing. It isn't racial profiling.
Just like another poster said:
Stillwaters + Hip Hop Night = Shooting; Regent Street Retreat + Hip Hop Concert = Shooting.
Look at the problem, not the people trying to avoid it. It is their business, they can do what they want. Maybe they are trying to create an environment where people can go without needing to worry about getting shot at!
Anonymous (December 2, 2004 @ 10:54pm):
The dress code less to do with students and more to do with perception of atmosphere and profitability.
If an establishment is "too hip-hop", white folks will be afraid to go there, and only thugs will feel comfortable. See Club 7, Nite City, etc. Of course, college kids like rap too, they just don't carry 25s as much.
The second thing is that people who tend to "look hip hop" are associated with buying few drinks, bringing their own liquor, starting fights, and (this is acutally the worst behavior) NOT TIPPING.
Every time someone goes up to the bar, orders two buttweisers and two long islands, and then stiffs the bartender, it sets the civil rights movement back a little more.
Anonymous (December 3, 2004 @ 12:11am):
I doubt that those establishments are trying to keep black people out. I think they are trying to keep losers out. I have been to some of those bars on nights when there are far more black folks than white, so if they are discriminating they aren't very good at it.
I think they should decide on their dress code and apply it evenly to all people.
If some people are really convinced there is racism involved, at least try to gather more evidence an talk to the parties before you turn this into a bad episode of PCU.
Kate Losey (December 3, 2004 @ 7:20pm):
Anonymous #1: trivial, the badgerherald has gotten worse wrong than calling something racist in a title.
Anonymous #2: Since when is going to a bar like going to a job interview? I would challenge you to go look at the price tags of some of this "throwback" hip-hop clothing, it isn't cheap and people feel dressed up when wearing this style of clothing. To argue that this type of clothing isn't classy enough is to argue that only your white culture of suits and ties is classy and that is racist as well as classist. If this dress code has existed for years then why has Jonny 0's and Brother's only with in the last year placed these dress codes on their patrons? And are you so sure that hip-hop adopted athletic wear from the dress codes or was it that the dress codes came about from athletic wear being apart of hip-hop culture? Because in Madison with Jonny 0's and Brother's it appears that their dress codes arrose from the hip-hop culture not the other way around.
Anonymous #3: I see the difference!
Anonymous #4: Again the Badger Hearld has gotten worse things wrong, this headline they actually got right. Call a spade, a spade, it's RACISM!
Anonymous #5: Whatever, it's just common sense! Where do all the shootings at hip-hop clubs end up? On the front page of the paper. And where do all the shootings that happen on state street end up? On the back page in small print with a little disclamer that says 'it's okay, white people were shoting, no need to be alarmed they were members of the NRA.'
And where comes his racism...perhaps the sexism that he ends his comment with. It's because of sexist ***holes like you that 1 of every 3 women on this campus will be raped before she graduates. Where there is sexism, there is racism and homophobia. It is a woman's right NOT to be called a slut by some generalizing internet comment maker.
Anonymous #6: Thank you very much. Whenever I walk down university ave. around bar time, there are police and ambulances outside Brother's and Jonny O's. It's just when white kids fight, they don't get arrested with the insident plastered all over the front pages of the papers.
Anonymous #7: Acutally you might want to take algebra again. "stillwater" + "hip-hop night" + "shooting" = RACISM towards anyone who sports the hip-hop style.
Anonymous #8: Yes Racial Profiling! Many people of color wear hip-hop clothing and if you don't think that it's a race thing then look at the class dynamics of it.
Yes target the business trying to avoid having a class/race of people at their establishments. Eliminating a class/race of people from an establishment doesn't make anyone any safer, it only creates the racism that you profess.
Anonymous #9: Wow, so much racism so little proof. SO are you AFRAID of black people? Do you feel uncomforable around people who don't look like you? How is it that college students don't sport "hip-hop" attire? Hmm maybe the problem isn't hip-hop but that you have the idea that every person who dresses in "hip-hop" style has a 25 in their back pocket, wants to start a fight with you, isn't a college student and doesn't tip. It's people like YOU who set back the civil rights movement not people fighting to be seen as human beings with equal rights.
Anonymous #10: Well I hope they kick you out next time, since they just want to keep the losers out.
Next time any of you feel like spreading racism place your names so everyone can know who is really setting back the civil rights movement.
Madison Ave. is the 3rd bar opening up with a Racist dress code if we don't oppose it now, when will we?
Oppose the RACIST DRESS CODES NOW! Oppose ALL forms of RACISM. Protest Jonny 0's and Brother's @ 10pm tonight.
Anonymous (December 3, 2004 @ 7:28pm):
It seems everywhere they promote a "hip hop" event there is a shooting. Seriously, go to madison.com archives and search for hip hop
Why would a bar owner want their club to become a dangerous environment.
As far as the no tipping thing...sad, but true.
Anonymous (December 4, 2004 @ 4:32am):
Maybe African Americans should take over the bars for a year, and not permit anybody wearing khakis, Abercrombie and Fitch, Old Navy, The Gap, collared shirts, trucker hats, and shirts with band names to enter.
This way, when white students complain that they are being discriminated against, the new bar owners and other minority students can simply explain that people of all races wear these types of clothes and we're only trying to keep a respectable clientele, since people wearing the types of clothes listed above are often associated with illegal marijuana use, fake ID usage, violence in bars, violence at off-campus parties, violence on the sidewalk in front of stores, Halloween rioting, civil discourse, and many other various offenses.
You see, if you go to Madison.com and look up "Halloween" or "Mifflin Street Block Party", you'll just find all kinds of illegal and violent behavior, so the new management at Madison bars is simply trying to keep these same people out of our bars so they don't cause a drunken ruckus typically associated and celebrated within that particular culture.
And then Madison bar owners and minority students can ask the white students who think hip-hop culture = violence if they still think dress codes supported by biased statistics are fair. Especially when these dress codes don't reflect the same population who is the most frequently engaged in negative, illegal, and violent behavior according to statistics on the UW-Madison campus.
Would that be fair?
Anonymous (December 4, 2004 @ 3:08pm):
A drunken fight is far different than shooting someone in the face.
Bars who host hip hop nights might as well notify the local neurosurgeons, as there is a high probability someone well end up shot.
What's fair is allowing PRIVATE business owners to establish dress codes. They should be enforced equally to all people. If you are too ghetto to wear a nice shirt and pants you can go to a different bar.
Anonymous (December 4, 2004 @ 6:20pm):
"Too ghetto to wear a nice shirt and pants", thank you. This is the kind of ignorant commentary that makes minorities not want to come to UW-Madison, not stay, and makes employers refuse to hire white UW students due to their lack of cultural understanding. Good luck at life, buddy.
Anonymous (December 4, 2004 @ 6:30pm):
A drunken fight is no different than a shooting when both parties go to a hospital and/or jail. If you choose to ignore all the other symptoms of white violence on this campus that I listed, and let's not exclude rape, your arguments hold no ground according to real world figures. You cannot justify one type of violence by saying "well at least we're not shooting people in the face." If you're throwing beer bottles at somebodies head, you're not any better of a person, and you should not be entitled to less discrimination. This is much more frequent than any shooting in a hip-hop setting, there has only been 1 or 2 this entire year. Unfortunately the media exploits it, and you priveleged white kids get to say "look at them and their barbaric ways" while you are driving drunk or yelling like an idiot at some guy across the street to fight you because he's wearing another Big 10 team's hat.
If bar owners wanted to keep violence out of the bars, they should limit drinks, not limit entire cultural demographics.
Anonymous (December 4, 2004 @ 8:53pm):
lol@ "only 1 or 2" HELLO?! There are often only a few shootings in Madison ALL YEAR! HELLO?!
So you believe there is an acceptable level of hip hop violence? Do quantify that for us? LOL
Yes, a bar owner should be able to choose their own dress code. You know you have no legal arguments, so you make lame emotional ones.
As far as employment is concerned, why don't you go to your job interview dressed in your best hip hop uniform and get back to us on the results? LOL
