The Morehouse Dress Code
There’s been some mild controversy on some blogs about the recently published Morehouse College dress code. My interpretation of the controversy is that it is generational. Anyone over 40-45 years old probably applaud the dress code, while younger folks question the policy and find it too restrictive. Morehouse has a rich tradition that goes back at least 8 decades. The administration’s new policy which went into effect this month) is spear-headed by Morehouse’s new President, Dr. Robert Michael Franklin, Jr.
Morehouse College has a rich tradition of preparing young men to change the world.
Read the new policy for yourself and tell us what you think. I’m over 45. I have no problem with the dress code.
Morehouse College Appropriate Attire Policy
October 2009
Published in The Maroon Tiger
It is our expectation that students who select Morehouse do so because of the College’s outstanding legacy of producing leaders. On the campus and at College-sponsored events and activities, students at Morehouse College will be expected to dress neatly and appropriately at all times.
Students who choose not to abide by this policy will be denied admission into class and various functions and services of the College if their manner of attire is inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate attire and/or appearance include but are not limited to:
1. No caps, do-rags and/or hoods in classrooms, the cafeteria, or other indoor venues. This policy item does not apply to headgear considered as a part of religious or cultural dress.
2. Sun glasses or “shades” are not to be worn in class or at formal programs, unless medical documentation is provided to support use.
3. Decorative orthodontic appliances (e.g. “grillz”) be they permanent or removable, shall not be worn on the campus or at College-sponsored events.
4. Jeans at major programs such as, Opening Convocation, Commencement, Founder’s Day or other programs dictating professional, business casual attire, semi-formal or formal attire.
5. Clothing with derogatory, offense and/or lewd messages either in words or pictures.
6. Top and bottom coverings should be work at all times. No bare feet in public venues.
7. No sagging–the wearing of one’s pants or shorts low enough to reveal undergarments or secondary layers of clothing.
8. Pajamas, shall not be worn while in public or in common areas of the College.
9. No wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.
10. Additional dress regulations may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities that are sponsored or organized by the College (e.g. athletic teams, the band, Glee Club, etc).
11. The college reserves the right to modify this policy as deemed appropriate.
*All administrative, faculty, students and support staff members are asked to assist in enforcing this policy and may report disregard or violations to the Office of Student Conduct.”
This article was posted by Gary A. Johnson.
Black Men In America 
October 11, 2009 at 9:32, am
I am in full support of Morehouse’s dress policy. I live in Atlanta and it’s refreshing to see proud young Black men dressing appropriately. Now hopefully many of the shawty’s who loiter in the surrounding area just might be affected positively by this schools action and follow suit.
October 12, 2009 at 7:35, pm
I object to certain portions of this dress code. This is an effort to repress what Morehouse sees as a revolt against heteronormativity. Atlanta being an epicenter for gay black men, I don’t see what retracts from “appropriate” dress by requiring young men to avoid “women’s” garb. How crass. I am VERY disappointed Morehouse
October 18, 2009 at 9:18, am
It’s about time! when will we wake up an look at the nonsense that we are starting to accept as normal, black men in high heal shoes, wearing dresses, pants hanging off the backside showing your under garments. where is our pride, it’s not a gay issue it’s a pride and manners issue. WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE
November 22, 2009 at 3:52, pm
Sounds frightfully similar to arguments used against Blacks when we sought the right to suffrage, or even wanting to end segregation in schools and public venues. Equality and oppression can never co-exist. Morehouse instituting such blatantly homophobic and antiquated policies is a slap in the face of everything they “supposedly” stand for. Who determines what’s appropriate? It’s about self-expression and the freedom to be comfortable in one’s skin. But then again, I suppose an institution that exclusively caters to men and failed notions of masculinity has to perpetuate these notions somehow. It’s disheartening. Notions of normalcy and appropriateness are fallacies. I have dressed in drag, and I even sometimes switch, and I am very proud of who I am as a man.
March 5, 2010 at 1:13, am
I’m going to start this reply with a satirical quote from the true ol’ skool…like nana, aunt mae, and or mama j”…um um um chile’ these chirren’ dun’ lost their mind..
I have nothing against the gay community ( more power to you). You have the right to be with and dress as you please. But, my brothers and sisters please don’t try and denounce people who have chosen not to live their lives as a gay man or woman. We have a serious problem with our youth, particularly within OUR community ( IDENTITY) !!! This next statement is going to make you a little upset, but here it is. It is not typically the norm for a people of the same sex to be together. This may seem right to you, because this is the life you decided to take. Good. The younger African-American ( particularly male) generation are either killing each other, undereducated, fatherless, incarcerated, and the list goes on…some of them don’t even have a clue what to wear to an interview, court, etc…We have to support Morehouse for at least trying to set the tone and or maintain the normal standard. It is time for us to take a stand ( just like nana, aunt mae, Mr. Joe) and the rest of the ol’ skool clan did to protect, teach, and preserve the village/children/youngmen/women..
Hotep
September 21, 2010 at 9:32, pm
That just shows how stupid you are. Why should the rest of Atlanta, yes those that have been in Atlanta before the Gays came here, should put up with their way of life and not mine. If you choose to be Gay, so be it. What you have on won’t make you less Gay. It’s just makes you look stupid trying to look like a female.
April 23, 2012 at 7:35, pm
Students come to MH for an education not to express their sexuality, thus should behave appropriate… what you do after hours is no one’s business but please come as student (appropriate student) when you walk to through these educating doors.
July 24, 2012 at 2:51, pm
heterosexuals get to express their sexuality everywhere they go. until MH represses heterosexual expressions on campus, I can never support this homophobia thinly veiled as a “dress code”
October 12, 2009 at 7:38, pm
Sorry, I meant to say “I don’t see what promotes “appropriate” dress by requiring young men to avoid “women’s” garb.” – some men dress in pants, others in dresses. Leave them be.
October 14, 2009 at 11:12, am
Aisha, you don’t see what the issue is in men wearing women’s clothes on campus? Give me a bloody break. Morehouse is not a cabaret. It is an institution of higher learning and as such, should set a standard for young men around the world. I don’t care what Atlanta is or is not…men dressing in women’s clothes on campus is not appropriate. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Get a clue.
October 19, 2009 at 5:00, pm
ERSULA, THAT WAS VERY WELL SAID. WHAT WOULD MAKE A MALE WANT 2 DRESS IN WOMEN CLOTHING ANYWAY. IT’S ACTUALLY SICKENING. THE FACT THAT SOME DEFEND THIS AND CONSIDER THE NORM OR NOT AN ISSUE IS REPULSIVE. 4 SOME MOREHOUSE IS A STELLAR COLLEGE AND SHOULD BE HELD 2 THOSE STANDARDS. THIS ILLUSTRATES THE AUDACITY OF THE GAY COMMUNITY AND HOW THEY ARE TRYING 2 PUT THEIR NORMS OFF ON HETEROSEXUALS.
January 26, 2010 at 3:13, am
OMEGA MAN, how ignorant. Just…the blatant homophobia in your post is sickening. If I were a gay man, I would get AS FAR AWAY from ANY and EVERY HBCU that I could. It’s thinking like yours that plague these campuses.
October 26, 2009 at 11:25, pm
Aisha, you must be writing simply for attention. You mean to tell me you support black men dressed as women in class? What people do in the privacy of their own home is one thing. On campus, you should dress appropriately. What a mess we have allowed to happen! I have nothing against gay men (or women). But honestly, are they dying to wear a dress to class? Just can’t go in pants right? Give me a break. I have no interest in seeing a man in a dress. It’s hard enough trying to do well in school. Try doing it sitting next to a man in a dress and heels! I feel the same about the baggy clothing. We as black people sometimes appear as if we have no shame in our appearance. Wake up parents! We have let things go way too far!
November 5, 2011 at 6:46, pm
Aisha,
You just canned your own argument twice! How or why in your mind is it ok for a MAN to DRESS in WOMENS garb!? Aren’t these people students attending school? Or is it a freedom of expression fashion show? Dress appropriately and carry on…I’m sorry, but a man attending college in the United States of America or 99% of the rest of the world…doesn’t wear women’s dresses to class!!! It’s a distraction, less than professional, non-appropriate and wrong. He or she should look for attention in other places other then where attention should be given to the instructor!
October 13, 2009 at 2:09, am
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October 13, 2009 at 6:08, pm
“Morehouse has a rich tradition that goes back at least 80 decades.” That’s 800 years! Are you telling me Morehouse was around in the 1200’s?
October 14, 2009 at 11:14, am
Seriously? Read it again…it says 8 decades…not 80.
October 15, 2009 at 1:28, pm
Let’s define a decade. A decade is a period of 10 years. A Century is a period of 100 years. So a rich tradition of 8 decades is 80 years. Please re-read the article, it cleary says 8 decades. Thanks!
October 30, 2009 at 11:31, am
wow….you shouldn’t have even posted this
October 13, 2009 at 6:20, pm
I believe this is a positive move. When driving through the campus before, you couldn’t tell the students from the general population of the surrounding community. FANTASTIC!
October 13, 2009 at 6:49, pm
tradition goes back 80 decades huh? didn’t know morehouse was around when genghis khan invaded persia.
good dress code for academics and focusing on scholastic achievement… as opposed to a community college casual crunkin’ environment. lol
October 14, 2009 at 8:34, pm
It doesn’t say 80 decades it says 8 generations. Maybe you should enroll in a reading class.
October 13, 2009 at 8:46, pm
This dress code is not new, they simply felt the need to re-publicize it’s existence amid the new slack standard on campus. When I was a student at Morehouse (I’m only 26 now so this wasn’t long ago) men didn’t have so much of an issue wearing men’s casual cloths. These guys are so sucked into this hip-hop, heiress, celeb culture that they act like they cannot be comfortable if they’re not in skinnies, a fitted T and lime green chucks. Grow up kids.
October 13, 2009 at 9:38, pm
[…] A review of the dress code (unverified source) https://bmia.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/the-morehouse-dress-code/ […]
October 13, 2009 at 10:26, pm
The typo in the article has been corrected. Morehouse has a rich tradition that goes back at least 8 decades, and not 80 decades.
October 14, 2009 at 1:09, pm
Morehouse College was founded in 1867
October 14, 2009 at 2:42, pm
While I don’t agree with certain aspects of this policy Morehouse is a PRIVATE INSTITUTION and can basically make any rules it wants for its students as long as they don’t break the law. When applying to universities you know you must adhere to there rules… if you don’t like it transfer there are thousands of school in the US. Can’t really complain I don’t attend Morehouse and if administration feels this is whats best for their institution then so be it.
October 15, 2009 at 4:52, pm
Word booty.
October 15, 2009 at 6:16, pm
A dress code should indicate required attire. The Morehouse dress code is consistent with training our men by telling them what not to do; Don’t or don’t dress this way. What is missing is telling and showing them a proper way to dress. If the problem is as bad as it seems, uniform the dress code; slacks, white dress shirt, tie and a blazer with a Morehouse crest.
November 1, 2009 at 5:21, pm
I agree with this brother. The idea of requiring students to wear a ‘uniform” is becoming very popular in high schools across the country. It sets a tone of behavior and equality among the students. I am a counselor at a high school and when students are required to wear a shirt and tie ( football players are required to dress this way the day before a game), you see a different attitude immediately. What surprises me is that an institution of higher learning like Morehouse is having this debate. As DOC said, clearly these men have not been taught the proper way to dress for different situations. A uniform dress code equalizes everybody while they learn what society expects.
Men wearing dresses? I don’t think so!
October 15, 2009 at 10:26, pm
I, for one, am in complete agreement with the ‘edict’ handed down by the school administration.
While generational perspectives on dress styles are to be expected and even celebrated as they delineate the rites of passage in which we all live through, I am of the opinion that there is a base level of dress style that should, at the very least, be in accordance with basic decency and indeed basic sensibility.
And just to be fair, the decency should encompass both genders…be it excessive revelations of thongs or plunging neckline that leaves little to the imagination. I insist to the reader that I am no prude and enjoy, as a male, the sight of a provocatively dressed female without the excessive revelations. There ARE limitations and one just has to be able to recognize those limitations.
Now, as it relates to the dress style of many of our urban youths, males to be more specific, I can see no value whatsoever in the style of baggy and sagging pants that seem to be the standard style of dress among this demographic.
To put it bluntly, IT LOOKS STUPID….and sadly, I see this style in the urban enclaves EVERYDAY..which tells me that there is a serious problem among the demographic of the young black male. [Certainly, there are other ethnic groups within the age demographic that have endeared themselves to the style but by and large, this dress style seems to be more prevalent with the urban communities].
Let’s take another angle to this…the style of dress isn’t even safe.
Recently I saw a young lad [this was a kid!] with baggy pants fall off of his bike. Why did he fall? His baggy pants had become entangled with the bike chain causing him to be thrown off of the bike. Now, imagine having to run, for any reason, with pants that are hanging off of one’s backside. As it is, the pants, once they are no longer belted to the waist, can become an impediment to walking without constantly pulling the pants up…which…is the standard MO for those that wear the sagging pants. One only needs to watch these FOOLS as they walk the streets and their hand or hand is positioned in such a manner to hold up the pant as they walk.
I know that there is an additional component to the styling that suggests a sinister accoutrement as part of the dress. What is the person holding onto when their hand is position in such a manner. It”s this kind of menace presentation that is further befuddling in the urban community.
Something is wrong.
So now, Morehouse has taken the lead and has decreed that such dress is no longer acceptable and again I could not be in more agreement with their position.
College is a place of higher learning and a time to graduate from the sophomoric and immature mind into a sensible and intelligent thinking adult and nothing is more oxymoronic than to see ‘men of learning’ adorned in styles that does not lend itself to ‘men of learning’.
Cannot this still be a time of self-expression? Of course it can…but why should self-expression include wearing clothing that barely covers one’s backside?
Forgive me if I’ve been long winded on this topic, but I have never been more disgusted with a clothing style that our young black men seem to be firmly immersed in.
And I haven’t even broached the doo-rag….
I think something is very wrong in the urban community…I really do….it’s a bleat of non-conformity and anger and it ultimately has a negative impact on the overall health and well being of the black community.
Methinks that schools of higher learning are beginning to notice this as well….yeah…note that this is Morehouse that issued this ‘fatwa’….expect more institutions [and not just HBCU’s] to follow suit.
It’s got to be done….
October 16, 2009 at 4:58, pm
Morehouse is not the first HBCU to enforce a dress code. I attend Xavier University of Louisiana and we have similar dress requirements for the males and females.
October 17, 2009 at 12:43, pm
This post and many others seem to be confusing many separate issues. While I have never worn baggy pants my generation wore low hipped, tight legged bells bottoms. And women wore tight tank tops with no bras. Parents yelled and we rebelled. Sounds like another round to me. Nothing new. Stop making it a national meltdown. Culture and the community will survive. And the fact that the University can impose a dress code is not the point; should they is the question. What is the purpose? I say to Moorhouse, keep teaching what you do and the morals and values will prevail. Trying to impose it through dress codes is beneath you and takes the focus off of the primary purpose of a college education.
And finally. We all know there are some men who wear dresses. Our current societal perspective is to allow them as much freedom of expression as everyone else. So do you think it really befits an institution of higher learning to step so far out of the mainstream as to put in print that the wearing of a dress is grounds for suspension? Onece again I would suggest we focus on educating our youth and let them figure out how they want to dress. Being gay is no longer considered a bad thing.
October 16, 2009 at 9:51, am
Kudos to you Mel C. I’m in total agreement with every point you made……………………Nothing else needs to be said.
October 16, 2009 at 5:00, pm
…and right on Mel C… your comment has “hit the nail on the head”….
Hopefully the publicity surrounding this issue will spark other universities to enforce their dress codes. It is something that must be done!
October 16, 2009 at 7:16, pm
I am glad that they have finally put this policy in place. What a disgrace Morehouse was becoming allowing its students to parade around in any attire of their choosing.
October 16, 2009 at 7:31, pm
This is sad when you have to have grown people telling other grown people how to. Now the sagging to your butt shows I can agree. But everything else is crazy no hats etc. Why pay to go somewhere when u can be you or comfortable
October 16, 2009 at 11:09, pm
Really, this is F&*KK#’d up REALLY. I am a Morehouse alum and I applaud the administration for standing up. First and foremost WOMEN’s clothing and I repeat WOMEN’s clothing. I sag, wear fitted caps and all but never womens clothing and I own my own successful business. I will probably be the only one to say this and don’t act suprised. I don’t want to see no dude in women’s clothes. We needed to CLEAN HOUSE and get those homo’s in drag outta there. If you don’t like go to another school not the HOUSE!
October 17, 2009 at 12:36, am
It is amazing the people that find a reason to defend the most ludicrous examples of expression or freedoms. Why would anyone not express exception to the notion of a man dressing like a woman? Why would anyone want to be associated with the very ideas that place them in positions of negativity in the minds of others? This whole “sagging” issue and many of the problems with it are discussed clearly in the book that I have authored entitled “Pants Hanging Down” available at http://www.pantshangingdown.com. Dr. Pedro Nougera from New York, Dr. Chance Lewis and Dr. Norvella Carter both of Texas A&M are reviewing this work but have already said that the premise is on target. Whoever reads this, get together with a friend and order a copy from the site’s “store”. Kudos to Morehouse and any other schools – particularly HBCUs – that are trying to set the old groundwork back in its place in order that we continue the progress that is needed for the new youth to become leaders with understanding that is worth something. Keep up the dialogue!!! That’s what begins the change in the mindsets… and that is what is sorely needed.
October 17, 2009 at 1:37, pm
The ignorance that still exists is amazing. Amazing that some are ignorant enough to believe that ONLY those in “women’s clothing” are homosexual. It’s equally amazing and ignorant to suggest that one is less than a “Real Morehouse Man” or less than a man because of what he may wear. NEWSFLASH: HISTORICALLY Morehouse has always been the chosen college of African American Gay Males.
If for 1 year all of the homosexual students decided to NOT pay tuition there would be no more Morehouse. It’s unfortunate that some still live in this tiny bubble and still have no idea who surrounds them.
You all have indeed been afforded the opportunity to go to a great school, that has produced some of the most powerful black men in the nation. The largest percentage of those men were gay!!
What Morehouse is basically proposing is a “don’t ask, don’t tell” type policy. Of course they realize who their student body is made up of, they just ask that you not show it on campus. After all, it does become distracting for those closeted students and faculty who can’t help but watch.
It’s extremely sad that “Negro’s” are STILL calling attention to the fact that we are not excepting of our own.
Allow a “man” to be judged on the content of his character and not because of what he wears. And if you have a big problem with it, don’t look! Or perhaps you should seek counseling so that you can better deal with the differences in people that exist in the world.
October 19, 2009 at 6:02, pm
Free expression has it’s place but Morehouse is establishing a standard for presenting yourself while our culture is being swallowed by extreme forms of masculinity and femininity. As humans we judge based on what we see first and a man’s character isn’t going to be given a chance if the packaging is just another glaring stereotype.
I noticed you never address the thugged out side of the dress code, only the rules that deal with women’s clothing. Let’s not get caught up in fighting for our “FREEDOM” and lose sight of what we are here to do. It’s school, not a fashion show or a rap concert. Pumps and a clutch are just as distracting as pants sagging below your butt with gold fronts. Have we gotten to a point in our history where Free Expression reigns supreme while boundaries are a thing of the past?
The saddest part about the dress code is that the conditions exist where this had to made into law. The policy is not about homosexuality or acceptance, it is about image and standards. Morehouse’s job is preparing men to transition for college to the real world and that world has standards, so why shouldn’t Morehouse.
October 18, 2009 at 12:24, am
Congratulations to this fine institution for standing up to social pressures and insisting on dignified attire. I am the mom of a young man who will soon be in college. He goes to a high school with a dress code that could be described as business casual, certainly different from what teenagers often choose to wear. I feel a dress code instills pride in the student and engenders respect in those who see it in action. These sutdents are being prepared for life in the real world most of us operate in, the business world. Self-expression in attire has its place, but so does a mature level of conformity.
October 29, 2009 at 8:18, pm
That’s not “pride.” It’s a false sense of classist authority that serves to divide groups and exorcise difference. Ask your son if he feels like he’s better than the kids that go to uniform-free public high schools, then tell me we’re not breeding another generation that excuses the mistreatment of the lower class.
October 29, 2009 at 9:02, pm
Why on earth would you assume a young man who abides by reasonable rules of dress as part of his educational enviroment would “fell like he’s better than the kids who go to uniform-free public high schools?” Your lazy socialist bias is showing, comrade. People who aspire to be successful in business and in life don’t automatically “look down” on what YOU choose to call “the lower class.” People like me, and my son, know that we need to make our own way in life, make our own living, not depend on anyone else, and to do so, a reasonable degree of social conformity in dress and behavior will help us achieve those goals. The wise people at Morehouse who are enforcing their dress code know that, too. The rabid “us-against-them” mentality that you display is symptomatic of a lot that is wrong in this country and fine institutions don’t want or need people like you.
November 1, 2009 at 1:05, am
Understanding is something that has to be “gotten” by all. Pay attention to the groups that are progressing in life and those that are not. You will see the difference in their approach to the concept of progress and you will then see exactly and hopefully understand “why” those other groups aren’t progressing. The majority of the people who are being left behind or are being negatively labelled are those who choose to do those things that cause negative perceptions in general to be created about them. These perceptions become stereotypes and prejudices. Ultimately, this becomes a way to diminish the power of the group that engages in the “negative” behavior. For some reason people have a misunderstanding of “freedom”. Freedom means you can express yourself “within” the limits of established protocol(i.e. school rules, laws, parental guidelines, etc.). However, there are consequences – short and long term – that result when you go outside the protocol in the negative direction. And those who do so need to understand this. And those of us who understand this need to be a part of the system that supports the proper modus operandi.
October 18, 2009 at 2:53, am
The policy is long overdue and oh so very welcomed! Those who have a problem with it, as it is stated by this PRIVATE institution can pack their bags and leave. I am sure there is a college ready and willing to take those with their desires to make their own rules. When you become successful and can found your own college then you and your administration can open the flood gates to self expression at any cost. At Morehouse, the message is loud and clear and the traditions and legacy are more important than your desires to DO YOU. Kudos to the Morehouse administration for FINALLY laying down the law!
October 19, 2009 at 8:56, am
[…] probably heard the new dress code that Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU (Historically Black College/University), has given its […]
October 19, 2009 at 11:57, am
I appluaud MoreHouse college standing up and actually training our men of tommorrow. pose this issue to President Obama and listen to his reponse
October 19, 2009 at 1:28, pm
All you Blackass faggots who are against this policy need your asses stuffed with dynomite so when you go to hell, your pussies will be blown up and destroyed.
October 22, 2009 at 6:10, pm
seriously? blackass faggots? i laugh at you my friend. take a look in the mirror. sounds like you might be suppressing some serious inner-homo feelings. good luck with that and see you in hell.
October 19, 2009 at 8:30, pm
Those young “men” should come to school dressed respectfully. They are there supposedly to learn a better way of living through education or intellectual fortification. Those rebellious ones should be retrained or rereared, or expelled! Stop bringing our community down to the gutter. You should be there to uplift yourselves and our people. Where is your respect and shame?
October 20, 2009 at 12:30, am
Let me get this straight.
If you wear pumps or blouses to class, you risk expulsion. If you shoot in a fellow Morehouse man, you’ll be allowed to attend classes and graduation on time like Joshua Brandon Norris.
Yes. This dress code makes a lot of sense to me now.
October 20, 2009 at 11:47, pm
Its about time you niggers stopped dressing like clowns and started to respect yosefs enough to dress in a respectful manner. Now how about you all work on those fake ass accents and your bullshit slang dialogue and start to sound less like monkeys and more like men. After all, we have a black president so the whole fucking world cant really be against the black man now can it?? Grow up and take responsibility for your own destiny. Start by looking like an adult. aiightt!
October 21, 2009 at 1:11, pm
I find this move to be most interesting, considering I have some inside “insight”. I think some of the reason some of these changes were made was so Moorehouse can cover their a** legally. I know of a man who transitioned into his feminine state, while he was a student. Very beautiful I might add!! Now, that there’s a clause in the dress code Moorehouse can legally discriminate. I understand they are a private university, so they can “do what they want” but if college is supposed to help prepare you for the real world than I think this is a step in the wrong direction. I’m all for a Private University doing what they want to do! However, when people start thinking “gays” are putting their norms off on others..I laugh!! So I guess when I (as a Black Man) attend white functions ..I am putting my norms off on white folks. Insecurity, Insecurity, Insecurity!!! I just think that the change has nothing to do with positivity ..tradition..etc. They are covering their asses. Stop trying to make it seem like this move was for some positive transition…Yall are soo full of iiishh!! Keep it real..u want the “gays” to remain invisible so the university’s image isn’t tarnished. Keep it real Moorehouse.
October 27, 2009 at 1:33, am
Sounds like you need to cover your ass too. So shut up and pull up your pants. You say you want Morehouse…I’m sorry, you spelled it “Moorehouse”…to keep it real when it comes to allowing homosexuals to be themselves? Yet in the “REAL” world you have discrimination in the name of self-preservation. So yes they are keeping it “REAL”. There are a number of establishments in the “free-world” where you have to suppress your “true colors” because the establishment won’t let you wear your favorite shoes, baggy pants, stupid shiny teeth, and lipstick. How pathetic, shallow, and short-sighted we have become as a people. Get your education and go on with your life.
October 21, 2009 at 4:19, pm
I am shocked this had to be done re: dress code. Now Morehouse must set standards their parents and law enforcement (pants at sacrun) should have done. One would think that this dress code would have been the NORM from day one.
October 21, 2009 at 11:36, pm
Peace and Blessings to all,
It is great to see this happening. Pride and dignity should be just as strong amongst us as it always has been of our struggle.
“Education is our best weapon to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela
It is great to see this at Morehouse college and I am all for it.
Now if we can just get the stoppage of the use of the -N- word amongst our adults as well as our children.
Peace and Blessings to all
Mr. Bromont
P.S. Sorry I have been out of touch for so long here.
October 22, 2009 at 2:15, pm
When I went to morehouse they didnt really need a policy, they told you all this stuff on freshman week. students who have to cross-dress to be comfortable can choose a different school. if you want to be gay. be gay. Most intelligent heterosexuals I think would agree. We’d rather you be ‘out of the closet’ than on ‘the down low’. But just because you are gay or a cross-dresser doesn’t mean you don’t have to respect the tradition. i think there are alot of gay morehouse men who do.
October 22, 2009 at 6:41, pm
I have no problem with the Policy.
What is sad is that there is a need for such a Policy.
Those that oppose the Policy, should transfer or apply elsewhere!
I didn’t attend Morehouse but, I did attend a HBCU. I am saddened by what young black males consider appropriate attire on many college campuses. In addition, it is sad when our young black women accept it!
October 23, 2009 at 7:42, pm
[…] Lisa Olsson gör om dresscode på skolor. Morehouse, ett privat manligt college i USA har infört en dresscode som bland annat förbjuder kvinnliga kläder och smink, och Lisa svarar med att det inte alls kan röra sig om diskriminering av transpersoner: […]
October 27, 2009 at 2:00, am
I’m sorry, my Dutch / German/ Swedish is a little rusty, but it sounds like you said:
Lisa Olsson converts dresscode on schools. Morehouse, a private male college in USA has infört one dresscode that among other thing forbids female clothing and makeup, and Lisa replies with that it not at all can mess themselves about discrimination of trance persons:
Okay now what is your point?
October 24, 2009 at 8:20, pm
I applaud Morehouse for enforcing their dress code! BRAVO!
Wearing women’s clothing does not make you gay. Sleeping with the same gender makes you gay. So having to wear male clothing does not detract from your homosexuality. So all of you cross-dressing students can rest assured, your gayness will be intact in chinos and a nice sweater.
You can do that on your own time, off campus.
I am utterly outdone by the sheer stupidity of some younger people these days. I graduated college in 2001, and wish they had stricter dress codes back then. There were women coming to class looking as though they just came off the “track”. (And I don’t mean the running track.)
But I never saw gay mean wearing minis and thigh high boots. Many were the flyest dressers on campus though. You can express yourself in male clothing.
And if you want to look and behave like the dudes on the corner (grills and saggy pants) then don’t cry foul when you get profiled as such. Some things are inappropriate no matter how much the “mainstream” embrace them. The mainstream is full of under and uneducated fools. Why be like them when you can be better?
October 25, 2009 at 2:51, pm
Being 53 I know that college should be a time of experimentation. At no other period in a young man’s life will he have the opportunity to explore values, sexuality, and ethical standards as he will during that extremely short span of time. With that said I do believe that clothing spouting violent/sexually inappropriate/demeaning messages requires common sense and those who choose not to utilize it be dealt with individually. It’s interesting how soon we forget that in eras past men wore heels, frilly blouses and other styles in government, and male oriented businesses that Morehouse is attempting to thwort. Sounds a bit homophobic to me. Thus I believe there must be some flexibility because as we know “black and white” thinking oppresses thought and development of young minds. Look back in history. Again, with that said being a PRIVATE college they have the set whatever standards they choose. I would just hope that they recognize what consequences could arise as a result of inflexible thinking.
October 25, 2009 at 10:09, pm
Nuff said!!! I think there should be a dress code. Because Morehouse is considered to be one of the best and most prestigious HBCUs on the east coast. To dishonor the legacy of Morehouse or any other HBCU is to dishonor all of us. You got young ignorant brothers looking like Corporal Klinger from M.A.S.H. This is no bullshit and this is no Greek pledging crap either. Negroes wearing jeans and red stiletto heels? Some Negroes wearing sagging pants off off their butts, showing their underwear. Tongue piercing/ body jewelry? WTF!!?? This is an institution of Higher Learning, not an institution of Mental Health!! It feels good be able to show-off that degree on your wall that says “Morehouse” on it, and wear that alumni ring. When you shake hands while conducting business folk notice the ring and respect the name of your school because of it’s legacy. How can our white counterparts respect us the way you respect the names of Oxford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton….you don’t even have to say the word “University” afterwards because you know what they are. It’s damn near common knowledge. And they are well respected because of it’s legacy and reputation….plus it looks good on your resume too. Years ago if you were fortunate enough to get into a good HBCU like Morehouse, you were expected enter those hallowed hall a boy, and emerge a Man. Not just any man, but a man of distinction and you went with the intention of coming out better than when you went in. So what’s the use of going into a college as a clown and coming out a little smarter, but still a clown? I have yet to see a Forbes 500 company hire an individual that did not have a dress-code.
You can apply for a job dressed any way you like, but if you want to be considered for the job (in the running), you had better dress to impress. And I don’t mean those clown clothes you wear to the local club!! This is pure foolishness and this is why conservative whites look at us and wonder why we get upset when white kids at Clemson decide to have a party dedicated to the way they see us: Pimps, Whores, and Gangsters with their pants hanging off their butts. Let’s not be so short-sighted, this is bigger than a dress-code issue, or a homophobic issue. When you have traveled the world like I have, then you will understand. Morehouse and other HBCUs were established to prepare young blacks for leadership, and when you attended that was your mission. The “House” was out of order, but now the “House” is coming into order.
October 27, 2009 at 12:56, pm
It is sad, given the overall state of black males in American life , that the Morehouse administration has to waste time with the de-ghettotification of Morehouse students.
If students at Morehouse want to aspire to ghetto wear and ghetto thinking and a ghetto lifestyle whether they are straight or gay, let Jay-Z, Fifty Cents, and Ludacris establish colleges and universities and, thus, prepare black men for professional positions and leadership or, better yet, an ongoing minstrel circus that ha set black folks back at least two generations while (mind you) the American notion of empire is srumbling and, in the scheme of things, no one (not even blacks) gives a dam about the high unemployment rates among black men or scores of black children being raised without fathers.
Do black men (if they know what time it is) have time for profilic foolishness while oher ethnic groups (some right off the boat) are advancing in their studies and moving up the socio-economic ladder?
Dr. King, Rosa Parks and other blacks who fought and died must be rooling over in their graves right now. These Negroes at Morehouse who are acting stupid should be forced to walk butt naked and dig Slavery Highway and be banished from sane and civilized black folks. Period.
November 17, 2009 at 8:04, am
So they a enforce dress-code policy that they see fit. Who cares? If you want to attend then you must adhere. But it really sickens me to my soul to hear some of y’all talk about how this will have positive outreach on the Black Community, PLEASE STOP! When was the last time you saw a black man that had a grill and baggy pants or a black male that dressed like a woman and stopped them to offer a step in the right direction. I must admit that I am not for cross-dressing and what it pertains to. You know damn well that you didn’t do anything to stop it except talk about it behind closed doors or behind some funky ass screen name. Don’t give me that “I am just one person and I can’t change the world” speech because every little bit helps. Jesus did it. Don’t we cling to the saying of What Would Jesus Do. If you want to talk about what will help the Black Community then get off your lazy asses and help the kids that are less fortunate and move them in the right to uplifting our people. Stand against racism that has drove our own people to genocide just to feed their own families. Futhermore, the reason that some Black Men that are successful still wear baggy clothes is simply this. We remember where we came from and the struggle that it took for us to start showing signs of success and therefore we want everyone to remember. Remember what you ask? Remember our culture and that even in times of peril we will not be broken. Not every black family has had the luxury of coming from the Suburbs, we are from the hood and we try our best to make the best of it. Maybe we were not as close to Master as you were and not able to get those lucky breaks. And best believe that they were lucky breaks by the grace of GOD. But nevertheless lets try a new approach, instead of knocking one another – HELP EACH OTHER!!!
But let me stop ranting because you are probably just another self-centered SOB that wants progress without lending a hand to help the cause.
So take your time and THINK about that.
Who am i to say these things?
I am that young 25 year old brother with a BS in Computer Science that works for the Department of Defense as a Network Admin. that had to hear from people like you my whole life who did nothing but ridicule me because i am from the Hood and I love my culture. Therefore I help my community by talking with the products of their environment to let them know that there is a better way then robbing and slanging drugs. Teaching them that there are different types of hustles other than those that the media portrays that can pave a road to success.
But i guess in your eyes i don’t get it, right?
My Question is What do YOU do?
October 29, 2009 at 8:56, pm
The sad thing, the really sad thing, is how black folks seem to think we should not carry on a legacy of high achievement–institutional achievement in terms of education. I am not concerned with what white folks do. They can be a hippie for ten years and then get a shave, put a suit on, and get a job on Wall Street. Black men–folks–are walking the straight and narrow in American life.
These young brothers just don’t get it.
November 17, 2009 at 7:15, pm
I carry myself in a very respectable manner and I dress business casual. Don’t think that for one minute that it changes how society looks at me. We didn’t dress like that 500 years ago so what was the problem then. Trust me it was not our clothes. It was the hatred of our skin color and the fact that we are able to adapt and think to make a better way. They made us hate ourselves and I see that you play right into their plan. I ask you what is the best way to defeat an enemy? You turn them against each other and make them fight themselves beginning with the youth and those ways will carry on for generations slowly deteriorating their mindset of what they are truly trying to accomplish thus making it a blame game for the reason of why we are still treated as second class citizens today. The fact of the matter is that you can go bleach your skin, dye your hair blonde and get blue contacts, but when your social security number is pulled and by it will say BLK then you will still be treated as the animal that they have made us to look like. Look at Barack Obama, he wins a Nobel Peace Prize for bettering the relations between the US and other countries and they have the audacity to ask why was he awarded. Get Real! But i guess you will still go on only to blame your own people without looking for the root of the problem. We have some blame in the issue as black people but it is not the issue that you bring forth. We do not stick together as we did when MLK, Malcom X, Rosa Parks, Huey p Newton and many others when they were living and that is the only reason that those who are dead for fighting for our freedoms would be turning in their graves. Stand out as those figures did and then maybe, just maybe you can say that there is no hope for the youth, just remember that you were young once so place a little of the blame on yourself while your at it. These kids had to be taught by someone right and i quote” Older Black Men didn’t get it and now y’all do just as everyone else and place the blame on the black children of today.
November 23, 2009 at 8:49, am
Ok don’t get it do you listen up: here are the facts. there are roughly 262 million non black’s in America; roughly 38 million blacks in America.
Those numbers mean it is a fact that we are a significant minority. We can do as you say and fight the power on our own terms and continue to be by and large crushed by the overwhelming majority.
Or alternatively we can acknowledge the fact that there is a game and figure out the rules of this game and play it to win.
Now I know this is difficult for you to accept; trust me though it’s only because you are young and full of idealism. No matter how much you pout and complain about the inequities of society you will not change it.
I invite you to find any good book on the subject of the history of Civilization. I’m confident that what you will find is whomever the minority is they are discriminated against.
The moment that you grasp the concept that it is not a race issue it’s a human issue you will have really latched on to something. Then you can really begin to make progress. Humans most always abuse their power, it was so when we (Black people) were in power in the era of the great Pharoah’s and it has always been so. (Yes I said it the great Pharoahs were Black Africans)
You mentioned President Obama; well if you take some time to deeply reflect on what occurred you will unmistakably arrive somewhere in the vicinity of ” yes we can” play this game and win really big.
You mentioned the divisive attitudes; well you have a role just as I do. Our role is to recognize the problems and use our minds to defeat it. Our problems are very old as you said; water is one of the most powerful forces in nature, it wears away mountains….over time.
I’m an older Black Man. You say my generation didn’t get it? Well we produced the first Black President…. and we did it with your help!!!
So for those of you who won’t be the next rap star put away childish things… dress like a grown up. Play the game to win…everyone can’t be a hip hop mogul.
As for our gay Brethren you may as well start to practice the image you will have to display in the business world to make it. Again, freedom is subjective; you have the freedom to not accept these standards and take your money elsewhere. However I guarantee you that if you dress in drag when you go to the interview for “most” businesses you will severely handicap your chances.
November 1, 2009 at 4:44, am
I think the same people who created this dress code in GAYlanta, are the same ones trying to stick it to men in the bathrooms and closed offices on campus. This is just away to cover up DL culture which is very prominent in this Run Down City. I am not from here, only been here a year, and know what this place is about, and not interested in mingling with anyone from Morehouse or any “Historically Black College Man”
January 18, 2010 at 6:23, am
This is a wonderful step in the right direction. The real red herring is the threat that the Gay agenda poses to black men: For centuries, entitled white men have objectified women; now they seek to objectify black men as well. I pray that young black men understand the dangers of accepting the white-male Establishment’s Gay agenda. Young black boys have enough to struggle against in this unkind world; and adding the sexually- charged “objectifying gaze of empowered white men” to the myriad of items black boys must overcome, is an unacceptable consequence of the Gay cause.
March 9, 2010 at 10:00, am
What gay agenda? To propose that black men are only gay because of the “objectifying gaze of empowered white men,” is wholly outrageous. As a black female who has attended arts centered education for the past six years, I have known gay black men at various stages of their lives. None of them encountered their homosexuality due to some ominous force from white men.
Sir, you need to open your eyes. Homosexuality stems from within a person, and it does not make him any less of a man. He can still attend HBCU or any university and become an educated, productive member of the community and society at large.
There is no ‘Gay agenda’ nor any ‘Gay cause,’ and homosexuality certainly is not some dastardly plot designed by white America.
March 12, 2010 at 1:36, pm
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April 20, 2010 at 1:08, am
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July 14, 2010 at 3:02, am
[…] = 'LuvvieIG';You’ve probably heard the new dress code that Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU (Historically Black College/University), has given its […]
August 30, 2010 at 11:50, am
I like this alot for a dresscode cause i am 30 years old but i went to a hbcu at 24 Tennessee state university and we never had men wearing womans clothing but we had the men wanting to sag and act like they r so hood when they r n school for a better education and i hope more schools adapt to this because both genders need this men need to dress like men and woman need to dress like woman cause we have woman that want to be men so bad with the baggy jeans and big white tee so nasty but now the hair thing is kind of iffy but i understand cause n corporate its hard to have dreds cause the white man will not hire you most of the time
September 2, 2010 at 9:54, am
I AGREE AND DISAGREE TO A POINT WITH THE DRESS CODE. IN MY OPINION THOUGH BY BASICALLY FORCING THESE YOUNG MEN TO DRESS A CERTAIN WAY, WILL ONLY CAUSE THEM TO REBELL AND FIGHT EVEN HARDER, TO HAVE WHAT THEY FEEL ARE THERE RIGHTS. AFTER ALL WE WERE ALL TAUGHT TO STAND UP FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IN…BUT MY OVERALL POINT IS WE SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT THESE YOUND MEN ARE EVEN IN COLLEGE IN THE FIRST PLACE, AT LEAST THEY ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THERE LIFE, REGARDLESS OF THERE PERSONAL CHOICES.
September 2, 2010 at 12:28, pm
collegelady, No offense meant, but if you are truly a college lady, you need to learn how to spell. On the substance of your post, one purpose of college for these, and ALL, young men of any race is to teach them that a certain level of conformity is a desirable thing for those who wish to succeed in the business world. Rebellion may soothe the ego, but is counter-productive and does not generally advance a young man’s chances for success.
September 21, 2010 at 10:19, pm
Well, jeez-ma-knees! You are gonna tell me that
Mo’house is trying to hide its true nature?
You gonna tell me that seeking Mo’house admission ain’t tantamount to comin’ out as a dripping chocolate twinky?
Where else can a sissyboy from Augusta, Ga. go to college?
Savannah State? C’mon my homeboys and homebettes, y’all
know HBCU really means HOMO & BO’DAGA CREEPS UNITED.
What’s the fuss about? The Mo’house administration is right on target.
Deviants in uniform get good jobs. Deviants out of uniform–heels and skirts, etc.– get called faggits. There ain’t no faggits allowed at Mo’house, just boonkey-busters in corporate drag. That’s the rule.
I’m glad I went to a white school…
October 7, 2010 at 9:42, pm
I am a MH graduate in the same year with ML King III and Spike Lee. When you look in the mirror, head to feet what do you see? Please stop the nosense. I have to sons and our society continues to have black men in the cross hairs. Please get on what is really important in life and read the Bible, go to Church, get saved…When you see Christ you will know exactly who you are.
April 20, 2011 at 7:40, pm
[…] There's been some mild controversy on some blogs about the recently published Morehouse College dress code. My interpretation of the controversy is that it is generational. Anyone over 40-45 years old probably applaud the dress code, while younger folks question the policy and find it too restrictive. Morehouse has a rich tradition that goes back at least 8 decades. The administration's new policy which went into effect this month) is spear-h … Read More […]
May 19, 2011 at 10:51, am
I think that there is a lot of confusion. First people just because you disagree with the homosexual lifestyle doesn’t make you a homophobe. And just cause the Morehouse doesn’t want their young men to dress like women doesn’t mean it is a form of oppression. What has this world come to when you have faggots telling real men that if you ain’t down with them and their sissy ways you oppressing them. And for the crazy black women who support this mess, shame on you. Instead of trying to make our race better and have actual families, we are so stuck on being selfish and self absorbed we don’t even see people right off the boat who recognize unity and become successful. Now I don’t have a problem with gay people, they got their own problems. But what I do take issue with is this who PC movement. I don’t have to like your gayness. I am not going to treat you bad, but if you think it is oppression for me to disagree with you that your warped mentality. I applaud organizations like Boy Scouts who don;t let homos train young men. It is a shame what is happening in California. And for those who don’t know the Gay Agenda is real, they want to normalize homosexuality and silence the church. You see they have gay bishops. How in the hell you gonna believe the bible and walk around saying you gay? A Lesbian bishop with her gay lover, hell is a hot place and we are sending so many people to hell by not warning them.
If I come off as outdated, to you homos call me someone who has some standards. I want my son to know he a boy dammit. And I want him to grow up and marry a woman. Every father wants that. Only real men. Real men don’t get with the gay sh!@/
August 24, 2011 at 9:35, am
We just published an article with some tips for how to dress for men in college for various things. May be interesting to this debate. Check it out at http://xaxii.com/article?art=appropriate-college-attire-for-the-well-dressed-man
September 19, 2011 at 12:08, pm
Free games…
[…]The Morehouse Dress Code « Black Men In America[…]…
December 16, 2011 at 2:48, pm
I think it’s a blessing that their school has guidelines. Morehouse is an great college. I have no problem with their rules. I’m a 34yr. old. I feel that they are correct. I appreciate them have rules and guidelines. Because some people have no standards for themselves less long for others. Where at Morehouse they signify on how a black man should govern himself in today world. While preparing himself for tomorrow.
December 17, 2011 at 1:34, pm
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December 17, 2011 at 1:35, pm
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May 22, 2018 at 2:11, pm
[…] there was a massive brouhaha at Morehouse over the administration’s decision to institute a new dress code. As I think most people would admit, most of the details of that dress code were largely […]