Black USC Dance Team Causes Boomkack Kerfuflle

So, a Black student at the University of Southern California posted a video of her Black dance team and, BOOM, we’re right smack dab in the middle of another HBCU vs. PWI debate. This one features “well, actuallys” about the style of dancing happening and snarky remarks about the student’s decision to bring something featured at Historically Black Colleges to a white school.

Buckle up for this Boomkack kerfuffle…

@Princesslang0 Proudly Posted A USC Majorette Video That Went Viral

NewsOne reports that Twitter user and University of Southern California student @Princesslang0 posted an 8-second clip that showed a group of smiling young Black women dancing in sync with each other as a crowd of white fans cheer in the background at the predominately white institution (PWI).

“oh nothing… i created a majorette team at a PWI and performed at our first game,” the tweet said. “truly though i’m so blessed and can’t thank God enough. Thank you to my parents and to everyone who supported me along this LONG journey. and my girls FYE The Cardinal Divas of SC are UP NEXT.”

But what seemed to be a moment of pride for Princess quickly devolved into the ongoing debate about Black culture at white colleges.

Specifically, the culture associated with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on PWI campuses.

Now, to be fair, this isn’t the same overly simplistic debate about whether Black people should attend historically Black colleges and universities where we’re more at home, or predominately white institutions where we’re—well—not. This, in my opinion, is a more interesting debate about keeping the culture within the culture vs. Black people’s right to carve out a place for themselves in a predominately white environment.

Unfortunately, this debate will play out on Twitter where it isn’t so much a debate as much as it is a 280-character free-for-all opinion salad.

Additionally, people are noting that these ladies at USC are not majorettes who typically twirl with batons. Instead, they should be considered a drill team or J-Settes like the famed Prancing J-Settes at Jackson State University.

For the record; I absolutely get why these conversations are important—and again, in this instance, it’s an interesting non-debate—but I still often find myself gravely concerned about Black people’s ability to enjoy literally anything.

But since we’re here, here’s a thought, maybe we should consider that we don’t know this student’s story.

Maybe sis’ could have gone to an HBCU—but she didn’t. And unless we have intimate knowledge of her college acceptance journey, academic direction, or tuition payment situation, we might consider that we don’t know enough to say where she should have gone.

Either way she ended up at USC and USC is historically whiter than a spotless dalmatian in the snow—so maybe sis’ just needed some Blaxtracurricular activities. That’s all I’m sayin’. 

Princess’ video is almost similar to one uploaded by Saweetie from her San Diego State dancing days.

What do YOU think about this HBCU Vs. PWI dance debate?