A Howard University Student Editor on the “Booty Wall”
To anyone who is continuing to question the existence at Howard University of the so-called "Booty Wall," please stop. Or at least direct your questions to Marquis Barnett, the nation and world editor at the campus' own Hilltop newspaper, who just interviewed me for a story he's writing about me having written about the Booty Wall.
My having written about said Booty Wall for City Paper's City Desk blog yesterday unleashed nothing short of a wrath in the Comments field. I was labeled, among other things, a "backwoods racist ass jerk," a "bigot," and an "elitist," for writing about what someone else had written about the Booty Wall on a site called HU Reaction (some commenters on my post used profanity and racial epithets about other commenters as well).
Wrote Vanessa: "How dare you write some crap like this. why are you all so intimidate by africa americans. what about the drinking parties at maryland university or the other all white schools. Howard University should have a african american home coming queen, it is a HBC and Hampton should have one also. I am so sick of undercover, backwoods racist ass jerks trying to stereotype africa americans..you need to take you ass back to minnesota."
I was also accused of disparaging Howard's Homecoming, being held this weekend, by pointing out that Homecoming comes around only once a year, while the Booty Wall is available for fun year-round. That line prompted a comment that I had insinuated "that Howard University has prostitution on campus and the freshmen students sell 'booty' 24/7, rain, shine, sleet or snow." One person wanted to see the police report backing up my prostitution "claim."
Anyway, this is all so important that it's going to be one of the main stories the Hilltop is reporting on during this homecoming weekend. Barnett, a junior from Winston-Salem, N.C., said that he himself had been upset when he read my post, and that the headline ("Who Needs Howard's Homecoming When There's the 'Booty Wall'?") seemed "a little inflammatory to me."
Barnett was kind enough to answer some of my questions after I finished answering his: He told me he learned of the Booty Wall about a week into his freshman year, when some guys said they were going there. "I'm thinking, like, what is that?" he said. Barnett described it somewhat like the original poster did, without going crude: It's a place outside the girls' dorm, the Quad, where "freshman girls and freshman guys get to meet and congregate." Down the line, sure, they "may be able to get a relationship going or whatever," he said.
(The original poster wrote: "Ladies sit beside it as if they were in a gallery as males try their luck with cliché pickup lines and desperation tactics. The young male may wait patiently along this wall for days – weeks even to be accepted by one of the women who sit by it. It is a freshman’s dream to be invited inside the Quadrangle, however at best they will just be able to look inside the lobby as one of the girls go back to her room.")
Barnett estimated that only about 50 to 75 guys "use" the wall. And he isn't one of them. "I haven't met anybody at the Booty Wall," he told me.
Barnett said that things had gotten "a little out of hand" in terms of the reaction to my post but suggested that, if I hadn't mentioned Homecoming, the reaction may well have been less vigorous. I asked him how he felt about the original post, from which all this stemmed, and he said it bothered him (he hadn't read it before yesterday).
"It upset me a little bit – more than yours," he said of the HU Reaction item. "Because I realize your post came from his post. Howard is a very conservative institution. It does not help the conservatism of our institution. It doesn't help us keep the prestige of our institution."
There is another way to deal with all this, though: Just blame me.
Ideas? Comments? I’m at eniedowski@washingtoncitypaper.com, and on Twitter.
5:14 pm
Lol...I read the posting here and it was news to me and other HU alums of my generation. When I was a student at HU in the early 80's of course we were aware of the wall and other hangouts on campus. However; it was never referred to as the "booty wall".... or known for what the writer in the Hilltop campus paper describes. I have to guess this is something relatively new.
5:40 pm
Correction: I intended to say it was posted on the "HU Reaction" and not written in the "Hilltop" news paper.....
7:05 pm
So, how is this wall different from a bar, or club, or band camp, or any other place where young men and women go to meet? Even the most prestigious and/or conservative universities don't shut down biology.
I'm still not understanding the outrage here. I mean, really, why does anyone care?
10:04 am
Erika, you stated that one does not need homecoming to have fun just go to the wall. This came from your mouth not the post of DNA, as a editor you should know not to assume and then try to come back with a sorry excuse for your story. I know the only reason you wrote this new article is because of the front page article that is supposed to run today in Hilltop paper. I feel you should have made an apology to the females of HU instead you choose to take the coward way out. I am not a writer but common sense states that you should verify your facts prior to running a story. The only reason you spoke with the editor is because he read this mess you wrote and they called you. To the readers if you want to know the truth read the Hilltop today.
12:43 pm
I can't believe Howard is still around..It's a filthy run down sad excuse for a school. You would have better luck (and it would look better on your resume) if you just go ahead and get your degree on-line! And BTW what the hell is a Homecoming fashion show lol..sounds a bit dicey to me..is it held at the booty wall????
1:54 pm
To the poster above me:
It is apparent that you know nothing of Howard University. We are a historically black university that has groomed some of the most influential African Americans in history including Thurgood Marshall, Zora Neale Hurston, and many more. Please before you try to downgrade us look up what we have accomplished. You're probably just some HU reject who couldn't get in.
2:05 pm
Wow this is new to me. When I was a kid going to school downsouth, we sort of had a similar deal, just without a name for it. Just hormones, no big deal. As for some of you, yes we as african americans have some dirt going on too. After all, noone denied the spot existed. Just chill. Its as big a deal as you make it.
2:21 pm
HU..I should have said "Look what Howard has become!" It's dirty..the buildings are run down. It's sad really. Just look at all the other beautiful schools in the area. Howard has taken on the look of some of the districts run down high schools! Maybe it's time for Michelle Rhee to take over your school as well.
2:21 pm
HU..I should have said "Look what Howard has become!" It's dirty..the buildings are run down. It's sad really. Just look at all the other beautiful schools in the area. Howard has taken on the look of some of the districts run down high schools! Maybe it's time for Michelle Rhee to take over your school as well.
2:59 pm
Donna, you simply sound ignorant. Michelle Rhee cannot take over the school because it is not a DC public school. You don't have to attend an online college to figure that out. I'm assuming you didn't attend college at all. HU has some of the best job placement for African-Americans. It is an asset to have on your resume. HU grads work at top law firms, fortune 500 companies, and run their own businesses. That wall simply gave students a place to mingle because unlike white schools, you could not have visitors inside your dorm at all times. It was given a nick-name. Build a bridge and get over it.
5:14 pm
BiBi Dear, Maybe Howard can get some funding from the goverment to fix Ole' Howard so it won't be such a blight on Georgia Ave. All of the buildings look so outdated. Why don't you get some of those fortune 500 alumi to start a building fund..Heck I'll donate the first dollar..Hmm "white schools" sounds like maybe you're angry about something?
5:44 pm
For Erika to send an OPEN SOLICITATION to ALL City Paper readers (80,000+) to visit the so-called "BOOTY WALL” for a good time with African American freshmen females is sexist and it jeopardizes their safety while staying at the Quad and on campus!
Will Erika send the same OPEN SOLICITATION for her alma mater--Georgetown University?
Now, after receiving what Erika called,“ nothing short of a wrath” from her critics and a call from The Hilltop, she wants to sanitize this article and exclude the racial epithets and sexist comments from her earlier one. And of course, according to Erika those that criticized the article’s racist and sexist slant shouldn’t blame her—the kid blogger did it!
GIVE ME A BREAK!
11:06 am
Donna-
I'm sorry you received your rejection letter but life goes on...
2:51 pm
I honestly don’t see anything racist about this blog post (except maybe the ignorant comment about us having a black homecoming queen…wtf ever), I think in that sense everyone is blowing this Booty Wall business WAY out of proportion.
The only thing I’m ticked off about this article is the way the writer commented on a satirical post. Poor reporting. But most of all, she wasn’t careful with her words and made it seem like she was literally inviting the rest of DC to our campus to mingle with our students. Although we’re on this big ol’ internet here, you have to consider the difference in readership between the Washington City Paper and the HU Reaction…
I think reposting this post was stupid in the first place, anyway. Unless something newsworthy happened in relation to the Booty Wall….this was a waste of journalism. But I’m not going to bash you, Erika. As a journalist myself…I guess people make mistakes?
Be careful next time you choose to repost a blog post. Unless it’s relevant to real news, you’re going to stir up pointless controversy.
6:34 pm
BOO HOO HOO. Why didn't you do your reporting on the front end and avoid the controversy or at least have an answer for your critics. You opened yourself up to this not because you are white and reported on a tidbit about an HBCU but because it seems that since it was about black folks you could cut corners on your reporting. Check your biases. Were you took quike to belive it because it reflected on the moral stereotypes of black people? Did you write off having to get your facts because it is a community you don't care as much about? Did you possibly find it troublesome, uncomfortable or even dangerous to have to go to the area and do some real reporting? Or maybe this is how you write all of your articles with a blog snatch and a phone call. Hope the paper has good lible insurance.
8:01 pm
Wait, so the Hilltop's editor confirms the existence of the "Booty wall," and people are still making comments like, "hope the paper has good lible [sic] insurance"?
Basically everyone has acknowledged the factuality of the original post. If you want to criticize the writing, that's fine. Go for it. But let's be real here - it turns out the reporter was right.
1:10 am
I think Bee has to much time on her hands.
10:12 am
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11:37 am
I am a junior at Howard University. Firstly, I'd like to say that I've never heard of this wall before. Even so, I can believe that students go there to meet and mingle. Don't most college campuses have similar meeting places where members of either sex attempt to attract a potential mate/date? It's called attraction. It's not a new concept.
I have a problem with the fore-mentioned article on three fronts.The first is the tone of the author, Erika in the intro of her article. It's clearly offensive. She makes a reference to the "wall" as a cheap and sleazy form of entertainment. I'm sure she meant to be funny and strike a satirical sentiment. However, she failed miserably. Sadly, the high sensitivity of the African American community to any commentary on their culture was ignored here. People from other backgrounds should try to understand that this sensitivity comes from a long history of negative and hurtful attacks on black culture, appearance, and identity by society. I know it's hard to understand something you have not experienced yourself, but at least try to see things from a different perspective.
I was more offended, actually, by the original blog post. The people commenting on this post seem to be adamantly bent on attacking Erika. However, they are neglecting to notice that the bulk of the offensive material was written by an African American Howard University student. To belittle and berate our community in such a way as to make our uncles, fathers and brothers out to be perverts and to make our daughters, sisters and friends sound like common ignorant streetwalkers. . . I honestly can't understand why any educated black man or woman would find that acceptable. I cannot excuse Erika's actions. However, when we berate and belittle ourselves, who are we to be enraged at others for following suit? We cannot demand respect from other cultures and ethnic groups if we are unable to show respect for ourselves.
On a final note, I would like to address the posters above me who are writing in response to the article in question. A few of you have expressed yourselves clearly and graciously. The other posters have been abrasive and give the impression of ignorance with their spitfire and grammar mistake-ridden responses. I can completely understand the sentiments, but it's important to present our objections to articles like this one with clarity and calm. Throwing poorly written insults with bad spelling and grammar will not solve anything. It just gives bigots another reason to put African Americans and our HBCU's in a lower category of existence.