Cambridge University college forced to drop 'racist' ball theme after complaints

St Edmund's College had planned to theme its May Ball around the contemporary southern United States



Organisers have now re-branded the event Journey Through The Seasons



A Cambridge University college was forced to drop plans for a Beautiful South-themed ball after concerns were raised over racism by a student.



St Edmund's College had planned to theme its annual summer ball around the contemporary southern United States.



However, organisers decided to abandon their original plans, and instead re-brand the event the Journey Through The Seasons.



Diverse: Founded in 1896, St Edmund's prides itself as being one of the most diverse colleges at the University

Founded in 1896, St Edmund's prides itself as being one of the most diverse colleges at the University, with students coming from over fifty different countries.

St Edmund's Student Mamusu Kallon, who was born in Sierra Leone, initially claimed to The Independent that the ball was to be themed around the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, 'Gone with the Wind, saying:



'It is a film that glamourises the romantic dreams of a slave owner and a KKK member while rendering the horrors of slavery invisible.'



'The black characters fulfil every derogatory racist stereotype of the "slave" and black people continue to be subject to the modern-day versions of these stereotypes.'



In fact, 'Gone with the Wind' was just one of several literary works briefly considered at a closed meeting of the organising committee as a means of making the contemporary US south theme more 'eye catching'.



Organisers unanimously selected 'The Beautiful South' (the band of that name had been contacted to play at the ball), believing literary works to be too contentious. Miss Kallon was not a member of the ball committee.



The decision to change the theme of the annual May Ball from 'The Beautiful South' to 'Journey Through the Seasons' was made by organisers last month.

A website advertising the ball states: 'We are pleased to announce the theme for St Edmund's May Ball 2014 is "Journey Through the Seasons".

'Experience all four seasons in one memorable night; our college grounds will evoke fruitful autumn gardens, long midwinter nights, the early hours of spring and the fierce passion of midsummer.



'Expect scorching heat and wild storms throughout this explosive May Ball.'

Last year the event was themed around the 1920s set F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby.

A St Edmund's College spokesman said : 'The college felt that it would have only been necessary for it to intervene formally if the matter had not been resolved satisfactorily.



'The college supports the change of theme and is proud of its record of friendliness and cordiality. '

A Cambridge University spokesman said that the issue was a 'college matter', and he was unable to comment.

Last week members of Cambridge's Black and Minority Ethnic committee ran the 'I, Too, Am Cambridge, campaign calling on students to speak out about racial discrimination on campus.

During the campaign committee members invited students to be photographed holding up a whiteboard proclaiming a message about their experiences as a means to raise awareness of the issues facing ethnic minority students.

The campaign also aims to promote engagement with the BME issues amongst the student body. Vice President stressed that students need not self identify as belonging to an ethnic minority in order to engage with the BME campaign.



'I want students to feel interested in what we have to say, and even though it does not affect them directly understand that it affects their friends or people they know,' BME Vice President Millie Ngage told Varsity.