Reply #21: From what I have found on the web...

[bloom]

Blackface as a Halloween costume (sometimes w/KKK outfits as well) has been getting a lot more common recently. (Maybe this was common knowledge around here - but not to me).

There are groups trying to fight it through education. Like tolerance.org.

Apparently there has been more than one case where people were convicted/fired/suspended and then been reinstated because of 1st & 14th amendment rights.

"Even when a student's behavior is absolutely appalling to a university official, the student
is protected and must be afforded "due process" even if his or her immediate suspension
appears to be the best course of action for the university to try to protect the student from
harm or retaliation. At Auburn University, the two fraternities who were involved in
blackface incidents, and 15 students, were suspended. Ten of those students sued Auburn
for monetary damages for violating their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. A
judge later ruled that ?Auburn violated its rules of fairness and required the school to
readmit the students. The university settled the lawsuit out of court on May 15 (2002),
and agreed to allow the fraternity and its members back on campus? (Sorkin, 11/22/02).
As troubling as these issues are, these matters will not go away. As educators (whether
advisors, volunteers, or employees), we must work to educate students so they understand
why particular actions are not appropriate. Although we are not going to be with students
to watch their every behavior, we need to make sure we have given them the resources to
aid in their decision making process.
Association of Fraternity Advisors, Issues in Focus - October 2003"

http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_tol.jsp?id=885

see:
Blackface on Campus: A Resource for Awareness and Education.