Opinion: If You Celebrate Month Week, You Celebrate Racism

This week marks 100 years of University of Iowa’s beloved holiday, Month Week. However, the celebration that is seemingly fun and friendly on the surface is actually deeply rooted in racism. Participating in Month Week is the holiday equivalent of punching Martin Luther King Jr. in the face. It’s time we face the truth: if you celebrate Month Week, you celebrate racism.

Month Week was founded by Professor Konrad E.P. Munthwík. While he might have seemed like a normal theater professor who tried to steal the moon, he was actually a closeted racist. According to journals from 1920 UI faculty members, Munthwík once said he thought that Duke Ellington was “wasn’t that great,” and “sucked because he’s black.”

This is the man who created your precious Month Week. What else is this monster capable of? Creating a holiday to engrain racist tendencies in Iowa’s culture? This is a rhetorical question. The answer is yes.

What’s more, Month Week begins on Hilter’s birthday, meaning Iowans have been celebrating the Führer’s life every April 20th without fail. You think it’s fun to celebrate Hitler? I bet you also get excited for Columbus Day. Are immigration camps cool? Was slavery totally rad?! Go to Hell.

Month Week’s first year without prominent instances of blackface was in 2006. 2006 That’s six years after “Remember the Titans” came out! This year’s celebration hasn’t had any instances of blackface yet, but don’t let that fool you, there’s always one during Month Week.

The University of Iowa has yet again allowed Monthology experts to speak on campus, despite the gross lack of diversity within the Monthology community. February, AKA Black History Month, still has never placed top three in Month Week’s Month of the Year Pageant. Unacceptable. Plus, the week’s festivities include Month Tasting. Really, Month Tasting? That is the whitest shit I have ever heard.

So Hawkeyes, please don’t fall for Month Week’s calendar swaps and carnival gimmicks, because behind every adorable Lisa Frank calendar is a racially-motivated stop and search.