This Halloween Season is about More than Tricks and Treats for Some ...but about Diversity

written on November 03, 2011 by Tameka Taylor

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October 31st is considered a fun holiday by many; it’s Halloween. Many adults get into this holiday by dressing up and having costume parties just like children.  However, that’s not everyone’s feeling, thoughts, and experiences. 

A group of students at Ohio University in Athens, OH, called Students Teaching Against Racism in Society (STARS) has utilized this season as a means to educate the community about stereotypes.  This group has started a campaign entitled “We’re a Culture Not a Costume Campaign.”  They have created a number of posters to promote their point and some have described the posters as serving as a public service announcement for colored communities. The posters are to emphasize respect, human dignity, and the acceptance of other cultures.  The group is not trying to ruin people’s fun for Halloween but they wanted the campaign to get people to think before they select their Halloween costume.

The focus is on costumes that reinforce stereotypes about groups of people.  For example, if someone dresses up as a specific person that’s ok with the group because it is a person not a group of people.  So it would be ok to dress up as Snoop Dogg but not as a general rapper. Go to the group’s website to see the posters for yourself at http://www.ohio.edu/orgs/stars/Home.html.

The group was founded back in 1988.  The mission of STARS “is to educate and facilitate discussion about all ism’s (racism, sexism, classism, etc.), raise awareness about social justice, and promote racial harmony.”  The group has a role to create a safe, non-threatening environment to allow participants to feel comfortable to express their feelings. They have a guiding principle that they use based upon the African principle "Each One Teach One."

Another perspective about October 31st is that some do not participate in Halloween for religious reasons.  There are some individuals who don’t celebrate Halloween at all.  Several churches instead of celebrating Halloween have Fall Harvest programs for the children in their congregation and community.  These churches ask the children not to wear negative or “satanic” costumes but positive costumes.  This way the children still get to dress up like other children and get their treats, candy.

I wanted  to share these diverse perspectives on Halloween. What will you do on October 31st? Will you recognize Halloween this year? If so, how? Will you dress up? If so, what will you dress up as?