I’ve been studying racist costume parties for a decade, and colleges are failing at educating the students about why they’re wrong

The campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Catherine Robotis/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In 2014, a group of students at Bowdoin College thought it would be fun to dress up as Pilgrims and Native Americans for a Thanksgiving-themed party. This is not the first or last event like this, nor is it unique to one college.

Attendees later told me that, at the time, they did not understand why others might find the theme offensive. After all, many had dressed as Native Americans as children. One student told me he chose a Native American costume for the party “because it was way cheaper and I didn’t have to wear a shirt.”