soft,” with the implication that the brutal former is better. Young men and some not so young men, sport brands, some of which have been infected, as symbols of their fraternity and their “manhood.” Many of those branded were either willing or subject to coercion. When elders show their sons these brands, they may well co-sign the continuation of a brutal trend.
What is hazing about? It’s bullying, it’s coercion, and it’s descent into groupthink in the worst way. I’ve got something you want, and I’m going to make you suffer to get it. In order to join a band you ought to be able to play music, not survive a beating. How does the beating make you a better band member? Actually, it allows some folks to play a game of false superiority to the detriment of others.
The bottom line, though, is that it has to stop. The college experience should not be a brutal experience, or an experience where coercion and intimidation are ingrained into the process of joining a group. To be sure, there are bonding opportunities in ritual – in learning songs, history, steps, or chants. And there may be penalties when band members or pledges don’t toe the mark in learning things on time. But the penalties should not be physical abuse, and that abuse has become too acceptable.
What do we do about it? Some parents whose children have been hazed have brought criminal charges or civil lawsuits. Others have pushed for systemic change. Leaders in higher education must assert zero tolerance for hazing and enforce zero tolerance policies with appropriate actions. Four members of the FAMU band have been dismissed from school, but only after young Robert Champion’s death. Had they been expelled sooner, might Champion still be among us?
Robert and Pam Champion are to be commended for turning their pain into change. But if hazing cannot be stopped, those organizations that allow it simply need to be disbanded.
Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
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