Painted themselves black, then they were sold at an “auction”

With black makeup and ropes around their necks, three people were led into a sittning at Hallands nation last Saturday. Later, the “slaves” were sold in a fake auction. Then the group continued to Helsingkrona. Although at least one upset guest protested, none of the nations did anything.

“They laugh at that millions of my ancestors were kidnapped, raped and killed,” says Jallow Momodou from the National Association of Afro-Swedes.

Now he has reported both the nations to the police.

On Saturday evening last week, a jungle-theme sittning was arranged for people who has worked at Hallands nation.

Three guests dressed up as slaves, with black makeup and ropes around their necks. The trio was led by a “slave trader.”

Later on at Helsingkrona nation, American master’s student Cate Bridenstine asked one of the “slaves” what he was dressed up as. The answer was: “I am a nigger.”

Bridenstine then turned to the guards to stop what in her eyes was extremely offensive behavior. The reaction? Nonexistent.

”Horrified that these students found this costuming appropriate”

After the sittning Cate Bridenstine wrote about the event on Facebook.

“I don’t believe this form of overt racism needs much explanation as to why it is horribly offensive and creates a hostile environment for students of color in Lund,” she wrote.

“Nations should be places where all students, regardless of their ethnic or racial identity, may go and enjoy themselves without fear of violent reenactments of the genocidal practice of slavery.”

Bridenstine is particularly troubled by the fact that the nations failed to take action.

“I am horrified that these students found this costuming appropriate and saddened that both Hallands and Helsingkrona were apathetic in the face of their extreme prejudice. Up to 18 million people were ripped from their land and shipped into bondage to experience horrendous cruelty, rape, torture and murder that has continued effects throughout the world. This history should be regarded as the moral travesty it is and not fodder for sittning entertainment. I am so very disappointed that neither Nation acted in the face of this insane thoughtlessness and racist idiocy.”

A report was filed

One of the first to react on the post was Jallow Momodou from the National Association of Afro-Swedes. He has now reported both Hallands and Helsingkrona to the police.

“Together with students who were there and reacted to this, I will report them for incitement to racial hatred. Possibly we will also report the incident to the ombudsman against discrimination. It can’t get more serious than this. This is as racist it can get,” he told Lundagård.

Momodou reacted on the passivity the nations and the other guests showed.

“I was very angry when I heard about this,” he said.

“I’m not outraged by those who dressed up, they are open racists and they know who they are. What makes me angry is all of those who stood by without doing anything. They are as much racists as those who dressed up.”

“They laugh about that one million were killed and raped”

According to Jallow Momodou, this is an insult to everyone who has links to the brutal slave trade.

“This is about educated people who make fun of our history. They laugh that one million of my ancestors were kidnapped, raped and killed. There are no words to describe how disgusting this is. And these are educated people who are studying at a renowned university, it’s terrible,” he says.

This reflects on not only nations, but also all of Lund University and all the students who study here, according to Momodou.

“That the nations did nothing shows that they share the same values ​​as those who dressed up. But this is also something that Lund University has to address.

”

“Similar rope used for lynching”

One of the guests at the sittning was An Holmqvist, an reporter at Lundagard.net. She confirmed the incident.

“It was definitely a scary incident,” she said.

An Holmqvist has lived a long time in America, and during the sittning she talked about the costumes and the “auction” with two friends from the same country.

“My American friends said straight out that this was racist. In America, this would never happen. Black-facing is illegal, and somebody would probably have called in the police. I have only lived in Lund for two semesters, but I can see that there are big differences between Sweden and the US,” she said.

An Holmqvist said that the rope that the “slaves” had around their necks resembled those used in the lynchings of the slaves in the United States.

“At the end of the 1800s, slaves were hanged in ropes similar to that used during the sittning,” she said “That was our past. This reminder was pretty horrible.”

”We are sorry that visitors felt offended”

After the first article on Lundagard.se on Monday, Hallands nation published this on their webpage:

“We are obviously sorry that visitors felt offended and we consider the situation very serious. The event in question was an internal party with a jungle theme. Our view of the theme was basically animal and plant costumes and we did not foresee that it could be interpreted so poorly. It was a great error in judgment by those who dressed up and an oversight on our part that we did not react. Halland’s nation condemns any manifestation of xenophobia or racism in our society. The base of our organization is that all students should be able to enjoy the nation and feel welcome.

The incident will lead to changed practices at our theme dinners, and other events in Halland’s nation. We welcome a dialogue with anyone who can help us in our work to ensure this does not happen again.”

Translation: Samantha Sunne