Students condemn gossip blog
Published Dec. 7, 2007
Students united to condemn a gossip Web log targeting MU students.
The Black Leadership Alliance released a joint news release against the blog "Blast Your Azz," which posted gossip about the black student community at MU.
The Black Leadership Alliance operates through the Legion of Black Collegians and is composed of many of the black organizations on campus.
Groups such as the National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Association of the Advancement of Colored People and LBC, along with several sororities, fraternities and professional groups such as the National Society of Black Engineers, signed the release.
In the statement, the Black Leadership Alliance declared it neither condones nor supports the blog. The release pledged to correct any problems created by the blog and to take "proactive measures" to prevent similar situations in the future.
"As Black Leaders on this campus, we strive for the university's values; Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence," the release stated. "We would like to promote these values within the minority population."
The release also asked people to ignore the blog.
Instead, people should "focus on things that uplift the community," the release stated.
The site was a topic of discussion at last week's Black Man's Think Tank forum, a meeting sponsored by the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity for black men and women to talk about current issues at MU.
Alpha Phi Alpha president Branden Gregory likened the blog to a gossip column about the black community at MU.
"Blast Your Azz" is no longer accessible. The posts were deleted from the blog after readers left hundreds of negative comments in response. In the comment's place, the blog's anonymous author wrote an unapologetic letter defending the blog.
Soon after, the site was shut down completely.