A skit at a UW-Whitewater variety show including a fraternity member who appeared in blackface incited a protest of about 50 people Thursday.

The Whitewater chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity received sanctions from the university. Other punishments are under investigation.

The Oct. 11 variety show was part of pre-Homecoming festivities. Student organizations were asked to prepare skits based on commercials to present at the show. The fraternity and the skit in question focused on the Nike ad with Charles Barkley and the “I am not a role model” campaign.

There were no immediate complaints; however, the university is now taking action against the fraternity.

Brian Wallace, Tau Kappa Epsilon president, said the incident was during the skit where a member applied face paint to portray a character.

“How the variety show works is you have a theme. Our theme was Nike and the part of our skit in question was the Charles Barkley ads. In a misguided effort to portray Barkley, a member applied face paint,” Wallace said.

Punishment has not been handed down and although Wallace said he was not at liberty to discuss possible punishments, UW Regent and UW-Whitewater student Tommie Jones said the university is asking a number of things from the fraternity.

“I believe the fraternity has to attend a diversity program that the university makes available,” Jones said. “They have to apologize to the student body.”

The incident has prompted criticism and threats to both individual fraternity members as well as the organization as a whole. Wallace would not discuss specific threats but said members have been verbally assaulted.
“We have received threats both personal and the organization as a whole, as far as threats a lot of our members have been subject to racial slurs,” Wallace said.
Wallace said less than five percent of the chapter was involved in the skit, he was not personally involved and he was not aware the member planned to wear brown face paint. When the skit was rehearsed the night before the presentation, fraternity members were not in blackface; however, the next day a fraternity member, who is white, wore brown face paint.
The incident is new to Whitewater and Jones said it will prompt more discussion about campus climate and diversity issues.
“I believe many of the campuses, including Madison and now Whitewater, are looking at the whole campus climate as well as specific diversity programs,” Jones said.
The fraternity and student leaders are meeting with university officials to discuss punishment this week.