A University of Michigan fraternity has come under fire last week for planning what many called a "racially and sexually offensive" party which has since been cancelled, the Daily Mail reported.
The party, planned by Theta Xi and scheduled for Thursday, was titled "World Star Hip[-]Hop Presents: Hood Ratchet Thursday," and was advertised on Facebook with a picture of a black man with a wad of cash situated between girls standing upside-down with their hand on the ground and their feet on the wall - in a "wall twerk" position.
The invitation also said "started from da bottom now we here but now we goin back to da hood again!! [sic]" and "hood IDs will be checked," the Grio and the Daily Mail reported.
The Facebook event angered students of color at the university by specifically inviting "rappers, twerkers, gangsters (no Bloods allowed), thugs, basketball players, bad bitches, ratchet (p-expletive)," the Grio reported.
The fraternity also promised a Kindle to the winner of a twerking contest.
"It was very important that we all get together and discuss the impact this unfortunate event has had on the University community, as well as, our expectations moving forward," University of Michigan's Black Student Union secretary Geralyn Gains told the Michigan Daily. "Obviously, the way the party was both conceived of and executed is in direct contradiction to the standards of our university."
After receiving numerous complaints from students, the University of Michigan cancelled the party.
"I would like to apologize to all of the members of our student body, including those of all ethnicities, and to all women, for our extraordinary lack of consideration, and lapse in judgment," Theta Xi chapter president Eric Quang wrote in a letter obtained by The Detroit News.
The school's Vice President of Student Affairs E. Royster Harper responded by sending an e-mail to the students.
"We were deeply disappointed to learn that members of a university fraternity had planned an offensive themed party for November," the letter read, according to WJBK-TV. "The language of the invitation and theme of the party denigrated all women and African[-]American/black identified people through racial stereotypes and cultural appropriation."'
Harper also added that the "disturbingly, negative stereotypes and misogynistic behavior are woven into popular culture today. We believe this reinforces the ongoing need to continually pay attention to diversity and engage in thoughtful, challenging conversations about social identities."
According to the Grio, the fraternity's national headquarters has postponed all of its chapters' social events until their investigation concluded.