Afroman to perform at Pig Roast

After meeting with members of the University of Richmond administration Thursday afternoon, the Campus Activities Board has confirmed that Afroman will still perform at Pig Roast on March 27.

CAB members decided they would not cancel the Afroman appearance despite recent concerns from University of Richmond community members that the rapper was inappropriate.

"We think the benefits outweigh the potential negative outcomes," said Josh Huffines, who was president of CAB when it booked Afroman. "We don't think [Afroman] is offensive if you look at his entertainment value."

Huffines and three other members of CAB met with Glyn Hughes, director of Common Ground and Max Vest and John O'Donnell, co-advisers of CAB.

Hughes met with CAB and its advisers to speak about the potential issues that Afroman and his lyrics could present, Huffines said.

Huffines thought the meeting went very well.

"I was very pleased with [Hughes'] attitude and demeanor," Huffines said. "He came to the meeting knowing that the decision was up to CAB and he did a good job of keeping in mind many of the students' concerns."

Hughes attended the meeting as an administrator charged to focus on campus diversity and inclusion and to bring concerns that had been raised by the Richmond community, he said. On Wednesday night, he met with members of the Bias Resource Team, formerly known as the Bias Response Team, during which members voiced their concerns.

Some members of the community had issues with Afroman's lyrics, which some people felt were violent and aggressively degrading towards women, Hughes said.

But Hughes thought the meeting with CAB went well.

"From my perspective we started a usefule discussion about something that is difficult to discuss," Hughes said. "What is the relationship between entertainment media and larger social problems? That is a huge question.

"We had a robust conversation that I hope will continue."

Although the Afroman performance is still scheduled, the venue may be changed because of concerns for people who live near campus, Huffines said. As the date approaches, CAB and administrators will discuss a potential new campus location for the performance, such as the Greek Theater or Robins Center.

Although Huffines and other CAB members are pleased with the outcome of Thursday's meeting, he still has some concerns.

The Richmond College Dean's Office lobbied the original complaint, Huffines said. But members of the dean's office never approached any CAB member, he said.

"I think it is somewhat disrespectful for [the Richmond College Dean's Office] not to come to [CAB] first," Huffines said. "They went straight to the Bias Resource Team and completely circumvented CAB."

Huffines was also discontented that the dean's office decided to file a complaint four months after CAB had booked Afroman, he said.

Joseph Boehman, dean of Richmond College, and Patrick Benner, associate dean for residence life, were not immediately available for comment.

Contact staff writer Nick Mider at nick.mider@richmond.edu