Offensive speech affects everyone

I appreciate the frank sentiment expressed in Viviana Santiago’s April 8 letter “NPHC apology not enough” regarding Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s conduct and fully agree that the apology’s focus on the “perceived” offense is unacceptably vague.

But I also want to note that such an offense is not problematic only for potential “black LGBT-identified students.” Offensive speech targets any of us who regard a culture of respect as a baseline community standard. All who embrace this standard would take offense not only at the speech itself and the failure to address it during the performance, but also to the frank offense of Omega Psi Phi’s “apology” that pleads its case even as it arguably and meagerly conforms to some judgment imposed by the Greek Judicial Board.

This event and our understanding of it point to some of the complex issues that emerge from identitarian politics and practices. We would do well to understand the consequences of this complexity, even as we appropriately address the event that happened during the step off and understand the way in which it addresses the cultures of our university.

Karla Holloway

James B. Duke Professor of English