" Are you KIDDING ME????? Seriously, we gotta stop this.....A white girl "flouncing" her long straight hair is offensive to the African American race??? You MUST be kidding me.... Let me (as a WHITE WOMAN with LONG hair) explain... When I flip my hair off my shoulder, it is not to 'flounce' it at anyone, it is to move it either out of my face or off my shoulder so my purse strap doesn't get entangled in it... I would never ever do anything deemed offensive to ANY race, but we have to know when to draw the line at what some call being offensive... Good lord... That comment is ridiculous... Don't you ever think that it JUST MIGHT NOT BE ABOUT YOU?? It could be the comfort of the person who has to WEAR THAT HAIR??? Grow up... "

" Actually, formermttongirl, you are mostly correct and that was the premise of Miss Williams' presentation. It is a bit ridiculous but it does happen. Most of the time, the offensive actions or words are not meant to be hurtful but are said or done out of ignorance as to how they may be interpreted. The same goes for how those words or actions are received which are usually based in long-held, handed down stereotypes. The point is that most stereotypes are false and the way to get past the stereotypes and misunderstandings is communication. Don't make assumptions about people and don't be afraid to ask questions. "

" Unfortunately, I think the Mr. Meeker chose to write what would be interpreted just as the first poster did. This woman was articulate, funny, and had much, much more to say than what he indicates. Okay, interview the local "celebs", but I think he made a feeble point at summaraizing what Ms. Williams was there to tell us. The students who participated were RE-ENACTING and she was trying to show that it's all in perception. By communication & education with regards to DIVERSITY we can perhaps make progress in eliminating racism. "

" I have to admit that my first reaction to this article was much the same as formermttngirl. But, as Clumpton points out, not having been there maybe we're not getting the true feeling of the speaker's points from this article. I don't know. I guess her point was just how ridiculous some of this stuff is? "

" I'm sorry, my feeling is, if a Black girl is offended by a white girl flipping her hair, then I believe it is the black girl who is racist, not the white girl. And I will say this, if someone gets upset over a white girl flouncing her hair, then man are they in for a rude shock from life.:) "

" All to often, we overreact to what we read. I did the same thing too, milt, but when I went back and reread the article about the hair flouncing thing, and put it in context with what she said about the hair sensitive issues, I got the point. I really think the lead-off poster missed the point. After her immature and sarcastic response, my question to her would be: now who really needs to grow up? Instead of chastising the speaker, I thing she should be lauded for trying to promote honest dialog between the races. Anyone who thinks racism is over, is not being very realistic, and I think LLC should be commended for bring in this speaker. "

" I'm glad LLC brought this speaker, although I didn't get to see her. But as far as "hair flouncing" goes, the problem isn't with the people doing the flouncing. The problem is with the sense of inferiority that causes black women to be upset by the hair flouncing. So whatever needs to be done to build up a young black girl's sense of pride and self-esteem--in her own culture, body type, hair, etc.--that's where the work needs to be done. Then she won't care who flounces their hair. "

" I think the point she was making is that being a racist isn’t simply limited to “whites”, but to others as well. It’s sad that more from the community did not come to listen to her because she made so much sense. Think about all the stereotypes we (whites) attach to blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, etc. I’ve read them in several posters comments in the JG. Don’t you think those very same people have stereotypical behaviors attached to being white? Being a minority in itself brings prejudices front & forward, creating generations of anger & resentment. Though we’ve come a long way, we are still far away from reaching any sense of respect for each other without first pointing out “for a black person, a Mexican,” etc. We need to stop looking at the color of a person’s skin and speak to and about them as another human being without attaching the racial connotation. Mattoon could be all the richer if we continue to WELCOME other cultures and ways of thinking. It’s called diversity. . . growing. It’s not just for us, but for future generations as well. "

" I'm sorry, I have good friends that are black and Arabic, and consider them all good friends and good people. If a girl flouncing her hair offends you, you have real problems. My friends don't think this way. I believe it was Jesse Jackson that once said, -- A black man is walking donw the street, he hears footsteps behind him, he turns and looks and seeing a white man, he breaths a sigh of relief, he sees a black man, he picks up his step. What is wrong with this picture. "

" I have noticed that when people make racist comments, they often preface them by telling you they have friends of that ethnicity. Think about it. "

" Wow! I'm impressed with medic57's ability to read his friends minds. Wish I could do that. Despite the fact that he quoted Jesse Jackson, the mere act of quoting it, seems a bit on the racist side to me. I really have to wonder what the reason was for quoting this comment in the first place? Not trying to be a smart a$$ here, and am really wondering what was the point? "

" Okay, Medic, I decided to find that exact quote & circumstances regarding your Jesse Jackson reference. What I found was a YouTube video that looked as if it had been enhanced and edited. It ended as if there was much more to his statement. I am not a JJ fan or follower, but your post piqued my curiosity as to what the circumstances were when he made that statement. Had you been at the presentation given by Ms. Williams, you might have realized that your post is exactly why diversity is still a daily struggle in our country. It's about PERCEPTION! The hair-flipping incident was a RE-ENACTMENT with an explanation of HOW an innocent gesture can take on new meaning. She was not accusatory whatsoever. However, if “somebody” wanted to make a big deal out of this article, it certainly wouldn’t take much at all. A simple quote taken out of context could create a big stir in the white community . . . i.e. Black woman accuses white women of being offensive by flipping her long blonde hair repeatedly while standing in elevator. Wow! Could that happen in this day & age? Surely not. We all know that the media would never mislead, misquote, or misrepresent when reporting just to boost their readership or ratings. To be sure, it happens every single day, every hour. As for your statement that you have good friends who are black and Arabic, good for you. I guess you’re a totally diverse person. How often do you have them to your house? Go to their house? Vacation with them? Pertinent questions Ms. Williams asked the audience at the end of her lecture. Many hand had been up in the air at the start of her first question (do you have friends that are black, etc.), but by the last question, just a few hand remained in the air. She pointed out that diversity has come a long way since the Jim Crow days but we still are a long way from where we need to be. "

" More and more, I wish I'd made it over to Lake Land College to see Lena Williams. It must have been an interesting presentation, clumpton. I don't think the reporter would have intentionally misrepresented what happened with the hair flouncing, though. Anything I've read in the newspaper about a subject I've been familiar with has had a mistake or two in it. Anyway, racism is ugly, and it is still around. It's usually subtle here, but not so much elsewhere. Back in the 1980s, a black friend of mine came to my wedding at a church in Durham, North Carolina. One of the church ladies there actually came up and confronted me about my friend and her family being there. I was shocked by this, and also by how black and white people were segregated by the jobs they held. Duke University was truly the ivory tower filled with white students and professors, but the majority of service personnel there were black. I loved North Carolina, but the racism was disturbing. I hope the situation has improved during the past 20 years. "

" So now you've all labeled Medic a racist? Some of you people never cease to amaze me, nor do some of the articles on here. Medic's right on at least one point. If someone gets offended because of "Hair flouncing", they are the ones with the issue. All the problems in someone's life aren't always someone else's fault. Personal responsibility can be a beautiful thing... "

" We ALL need to realize that every race and culture has it's own set of prejudice's. Prejudice is not a genetic trait. It is learned . A child isn't born with these prejudices's. He's taught! While I don't profess to like everyone, I'm sure there are those who feel the same way toward me, I try not to have that dislike based on race, or racial stereotypes though. I know I have failed in that respect at times especially in my earlier years. Most people have. Prejudice does not respect racial lines. It raises it's ugly head everywhere! We have ALL been guilty of it at some time. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we will admit it. "

" I'm sorry Clumpton, she was accusatory, otherwise, what would have been the reason for mentioning it in the 1st place? Look at Ms. Williams statement ----- She can be showing off her “straight, smooth”white person hair to black people around her,----- Notice anything racial in that statement? The whole statement is full of racism. --- Straight, smooth, white person --- you need someone to whack you over your head with it. It is so obvious. Do you believe that white girls are the only girls who have straight smooth hair, Do you think that Black girls are the only girls who have curly or kinky hair? Ms. Williams created more problems with her statemaent about hair than anyone realizes, did anyone but her care about it until she mentioned it? "

" I like what Jeff Fozworthy once said, people go to shrinks and the shrink tells them, well, blame this or that on someone else. Just once I would like to hear someone say, -- You know, my momma was alright, my daddy was alright. I'm just a Sh_thead. No one wants to take responsilbility for their own troubles anymore. "

" ms williams has a double deck of r cards and don,t know a thing about the game of life. It takes two to quarrel. "

" For all those who THINK they know what Ms. Williams was saying, congrats on the ESP. Apparently, you just picked up the vibes from the presentation & just KNOW the context that the REENACTMENT & WORDS were meant to detect. Medics, you had nothing to say in rebuttal to your abbreviated & out-of-context quote from Jesse Jackson. Why? Perhaps because you weren't there or you only read or heard a portion of what was said? I'm here to tell you that her EXAMPLE was not a racist slur, but a LEARNING opportunity. It was meant to help the audience understand how things--gestures, words, etc.--can & are interpreted. WE ARE ALL GUITLY, regardless of race. I recommend that you all read today's Herb Meeker editorial. If you take the type, you might have a better idea of her message rather than to dwell on the hair-flipping EXAMPLE! "

" Sorry Chad, but there is no other way to interpret his comment, other than attribute it to racism. I asked for an explanation, but of course I didn't get it. That seems to be standard SOP for people who get called out for their stupid comments. I'll ask you the same question: why was it necessary to inject a remark by Jesse Jackson into the conversation, other than for racist motives? By the way that quote was taken completely out of context in the first place, but I doubt if he would get it, so I am not going to bother trying to explain it's original intent to him. And as EB said, racist comments are usually preceded by things like; some of my friends are black, Hispanic or whatever race is being talked about. Lastly, for clumpton, yeah, we've got a long way to go in this country, before we see equality for all. I somehow think, Medic, missed the point of the presentation completely, or did he? "

" To longtimegone: please read beyong the headline & first paragraph! I can tell you from being there & listening to her, she knows a great deal about life and was not in the least "quarreling" with anybody. Had you been there, you might have appreciated the message she brought to the audience. "

" Gail,I don't think the reporter misrepresented the hair-flipping re-enactment, but chose to dwell on it rather than better cover her message. This took place at the very end of her presentation & was simply a way to interact with the audience. It was part of a question/answer session--not a summation of her presentation. Mr. Meeker provided a much better editorial in today's "opinion" site. It's just too bad that it wasn't better stated in this article. "

" Clumpton ----- When a black girl flounces her long silky blond hair, is it a racial statement? "

" Williams' statement about hair is stupid and petty. And that's not an insult, that's a LEARNING OPPORTUNITY. "

" medic57, you said "Ms. Williams created more problems with her statement about hair than anyone realizes, did anyone but her care about it until she mentioned it?" Although I wasn't there to hear this statement in context, it seems to me she was not creating problems, but raising awareness. It is sad that white society's racism has created an environment in which young black girls cannot see the beauty in their own appearance--their own skin and hair. If girls have a sense of self worth, the hair and skin tones of other girls will not bother them. Anyway, you can disagree with the speaker, but drawing attention to a behavior (the flouncing) that has been misunderstood is not "causing problems." "

" Why is it that Billie Brant always seems to make the most sense here? Could be that she's one of the few who aren't anonymous and therefore she weighs her words instead of posting silly or combative arguments. **** She says "Prejudice is not a genetic trait. It is learned . A child isn't born with these prejudices's. He's taught!" **** I can attest to that. Long ago, when my firstborn took his first bus ride to school, he came home that day and shockingly proclaimed "Mom, Dad, Kim and Neil are black! Did you know that?" Kim and Neil were two neighbor kids who lived across the street from us. My son had spent the previous four years playing with them in the neighborhood almost everyday. My wife and I were pretty close friends with Kim and Neil's parents, but our obvious differences in race had never been addressed in our home - and apparently not in our friends' home across the street either. Kind of ironic, isn't it, that my kid had to start school to learn to discriminate by race. "

" Let me clarify... I was not there for Ms. Williams presentation. I wish I had been. She is a highly educated and well respedted woman. I'm sure that she said many relevant and eye opening things to her audience....I did not intend for my original post to imply that she was in any way racist. What I did mean was that IF in TODAY'S SOCIETY that someone - ANYONE can find a reason to take offense to someone brushing their hair off their shoulder ("flouncing" it) then they need to look somewhere other than thier mirror. I'm not a fool nor am I malicious or ignorant, I would not do something as hateful or ridiculous as walking around in public sporting a swastika on my shirt, but I refuse to live my life cowering in fear that simply flipping my hair off my shoulders might offend someone....And Dobaugh, I don't call names...you shouldn't either... "

" Attainedage, No, I don't always weigh my words before I "speak" on any of these threads. I have been guilty of "foot in mouth desease" several times. Sometimes I have been so passionate about something I have "flown off the provebial handle" with knee jerk reactions as have other's. I try to be careful, but I'm not always successful. It will probably happen again.I am a strong minded person and since you say you know me, you know this to be true. "

" To medics. . . I have nothing more to say! You NEVER stick to an issue, provide backup for some of your trumped-up quotes, statistics, etc. I have repeatedly asked posters to read Herb Meeker's editorial from Sunday. Some of you are simply stuck--like a broken record--on the hair issue and refuse to allow your minds to absorb this woman's message. It's time for me to move on. "

" I decided that I would simply post Herb Meeker's editorial as it's almost impossible to find w/o going to the archives. Please read! Column: Yes, we can get along as long as we can laugh through it By Herb Meeker, Staff Writer hmeeker@jg-tc.com Sitting down and talking with Lana Williams is a real hoot. She’s funny. She’s for real. You feel relaxed when you go one-on-one with her. I’ll admit I cringed when I realized I had been assigned to cover a black journalist from the New York Times (oh no!) talking about race relations before an overwhelmingly white audience at Lake Land College. “Here we go,” I thought. “This is going to be brutal.” I figured I would walk out feeling like a closet Klansman after being bombarded with tales of hate, humiliation, rape, torture and slaughter perpetuated by the white race on her ancestors. And even if I pulled out my ace in the hole — I have Cherokee ancestors so don’t blame me for your troubles, lady! — she’d slap me down with the awful truth. “But Cherokees were slave owners, too!” was how I imagined she’d respond if I brought up my Indian heritage. But with jokes, slang and some personal memories, she showed we are much alike even if we don’t want to admit it whatsoever. And I even agreed that hair flouncing can be a problem for white gals. If not for my quick reflexes I might be wearing an eye patch after I ducked from a nurse with long hair flounced me one night in a Quad Cities tavern nearly 20 years ago. I’m not sure if she was showing off her silken tresses, but she certainly convinced me to keep a safe distance during the rest of our conversation. But the fun part was learning how Lena grew up in Washington, D.C. among black people, and hardly having any personal contact with whites during her childhood. She was talking to a room filled mostly with young people barely aware of an era when separation of the races was accepted across the country and even the law in some states. And she admitted to having engaged in cutting down whites through the years. So after we ended a laugh-filled interview, I told her I came from a “sundown town.” That’s the name for towns where blacks were once not allowed to stay after sundown. They were prevalent in rural America, mostly in the North. It was the great lie about how the North was more accepting of blacks. There is a local legend of a high school athletic team from a school with black players stranded one night in town because their bus broke down. They stayed overnight in my hometown in the local jail. But things started changing when Lincoln Trail College opened for classes in Crawford County when I was in grade school. They recruited black basketball players and some of them were great players. LTC Statesmen, white and black, became local heroes when they started winning many games. One day I came home from high school and a young black woman was sitting in our living room. She was selling cosmetics to my mother. And Mom said the lady lived down the street from us. I’ve always wondered if the young woman thought I was slow-witted because my mouth hung open for about 30 seconds after I saw her. Of course, Mom didn’t start exchanging recipes and gossip daily with the new neighbors. But it was the first time I had ever seen either of my parents talking to a person of color outside of a customer line at the shopping mall at Terre Haute. Then when I was working for the local newspaper I arrived at my old high school to photograph the Sweetheart Dance queen candidates. I hate to admit it but I was surprised to find three of the four candidates were black. And one of the three, a teenager with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever photographed, won the crown a few nights later. My hometown with its hidden racist past was changing. It still had a long way to go, but change is change. Williams said something about how we act toward others that struck home with me. She talked about how words lead to actions, and actions reflect character, and character sets our destiny. Both of us, despite being 10 years apart in age (I’m not going to get whupped on the head for noting who’s older) grew up in communities held back by racism. But it is not our destiny by any means. Both of us realize we can overcome. Lana is way ahead of me. But I’m learning. And I’m smart enough to avoid asking dumb questions. For example, my mother’s maiden name is Williams. So I wasn’t about to ask Lana if we might be related. But then again she might have laughed out loud if I had. That’s the great thing about getting along: There’s got to be some give-and-take. "

" clumpton said ----- For all those who THINK they know what Ms. Williams was saying, congrats on the ESP.----- Don't need esp, she said it. Gail wrote ----- Although I wasn't there to hear this statement in context, it seems to me she was not creating problems, but raising awareness.----- Was she? Who's arguing about her statement now. Personally, I think her statement is a crock of sh__, as do all of the people I know. I even posted her statement on some other boards, everyone got a good laugh over it, most thought she was a nut. "

" Medic, you are the epitome of what is wrong with our country. You post half-truths, inconsistencies, & worse, you're a GOSSIP! The only reason I'm taking the time to address your comments is because you proved this woman's point! Bravo! I propose that you're the one who dishes out an overwhelming crock of doo-doo not only here, but apparently on other blogs! You've just proven your own ignorance! Great job!! Lovin' it!! "

" clumpton --- I'm honored that you think (and I use that term loosely) that I am the epitome of what is wrong with our country. What, exactly, do you THINK is wrong with our country? People don't see eye to eye? Tell me, in what country in this entire world do you think that people get along? In what country is there no racism? Isn't it strange that NO ONE thought that a white girl flouncing her hair was a problem until Mizz Williams mentioned it. And by the way, Mizz Williams is dead wrong about race being the biggest devider in this country. Money is. "

" Medic57 is right. This country has a long list of major problems, and hair-tossing is nowhere among them. The idea is ridiculous. "

" Gail wrote --- It is sad that white society's racism has created an environment in which young black girls cannot see the beauty in their own appearance--their own skin and hair.--- White society!!! I once had a black girl ask me to dance, I politely declined, she said, It's because I'm Black isn't it. I said, no, it's because you're ugly. In my opinion, she had that coming. Why is it always white society's fault? Some of you speak of racism in America, can a white girl enter the Miss Black EIU pageant? Can a white gilr enter the Black Miss USA pageant? --- This actually happened, at Skateland in Savoy in 1994, leaders from the black community came to the owner of Skateland and wanted to have a private skate where ONLY black skaters were allowed, the owner said ok, next month I want to have a private skate where only white skaters are allowed, of course they threatened him with a lawsuit. They also threatened him with a lawsuit if he didn't let them have their all black skate, He said ok, and then proceded to quote them a price so high that they didn't want to have the party. Do you see any problems here? --- Some may call me a racist over this next story, it happened too on Dec. 31st 1994 ----- While working at aforementioned Skateland on New Years Eve we had some trouble and it is documented, because of some gang trouble at the rink that night the owner decided to close early, He told everyone there to come back next week and he would give them a refund on their ticket of $12. We had 465 skaters that night, approx. 2/3rds white, 1/3rd black, a usual croud. Over the next 7 days as word got around that he was giving refunds for New Years Eve, this is what happened. One white person came in for a refund, 1!!! over 1200 black people came in for refunds, 1200! out of 465 skaters, why is that, that is not a racial statement, that is verifiable fact. Now, some of you will call me racist, freedom of speech, your business. In reality, I have no preconceived ideas about how black or white people should act, except with respect for each other, I also don't believe in quotas, I believe any job should go to the person who is most qualified for that job, be they black, white, purple or green, male or female. My dad grew up in a different world, it always bothered him to see a mixed couple together, I spent the better part of my adult life trying to convince him that it was ok, they're just people. Have I ever had racist thoughts? You Bet, and the person that says he (or She) has never had them is a LIAR. What do I want, same as you all. To be treated with respect and to treat others with respect. Thats all anyone should ask out of life, and they should give it in return. "

" medic57, great post! In my 1960's college days, as a white male, I argued with friends and family and professors that our racial differences were nothing compared to our socio/economic differences. Back then, I over-simplified, of course, but I was correct in seeing the two issues as separate and distinct. I had observed that since my folks couldn't afford a country club membership, my family experienced social discrimination because we were blue collar middle-class. I wasn't whining about it, just observing. In that sense, if you had to pigeon hole people, my family was more akin to the Negroes in town than to the white upper class. **** Now 40-plus years later, I see the new super-rich blacks totally abandoning and discriminating against the culture of poor-blacks. Obviously, race is not a factor in this. The issue is the 'haves' versus the 'have-nots' in a cultural sense. The 'Jefferson's' have 'moved on up'! You won't see George and Louise sitting out on the front porch braiding hair and eating watermelon with their middle-class extended black family; and until Archie and Edith win the lottery, you won't see them dining at the same table as the Jefferson's. It's all about money and puttin on the Ritz! Always has been, and probably always will be. "

" As far as something as simple as hair flouncing, Ask Beyonce and Rihanna what they think or the last 3 Miss Black USA's. All of the above are black and have long silky smooth hair, simply stated, hair flipping is not about race, it is and always has been about sex and teasing, or, maybe just to get the hair out of their eyes.:-) "