Are white people so oppressed these days that they can't even twirl around incoherently in glittery wings and tutus at arts festivals without getting discriminated against for the color of their skin? That's what Susan Stone, a.k.a. the "Dancer of Life," has been telling local media outlets after an incident at the African Arts Festival this past weekend.
But the truth might be more about ego than skin color.
Stone is well-known around St. Louis for attending festivals in colorful, butterfly-ballerina costumes and wowing (or confusing) audiences with her interpretive dance moves. But when she tried to inspire people through dance at the African Arts Festival in Forest Park, some folks just wanted her to stop.
Stone tells KMOV-TV (Channel 4) an employee reprimanded her for her dancing because she's white.
"He tells me, 'You can't be doing this here, this is an African American event. You can't be at this event. You're not black,'" Stone says. "I feel angry because they're missing out on the beauty of everything. We're all supposed to get along together. That's what God says."
See also: Continent of Class -- St. Louis African Arts Festival drums on
The story went national, with some outlets making light of Stone's dance moves and other outlets pouncing on a possible example of reverse racism. And why not? A white person was told she couldn't attend a black event because she's white.
"Isn't it wonderful how tolerance only ever seems to go one way? " says a website called Mr. Conservative.
But Stone posted a video of the alleged racist exchange online, and it adds a bit more context to the story of a white person being told to stop dancing at a African American event. Also, it's a pretty absurd exchange on its own, even without the misconstrued racial stuff...
Watch the video of Stone's bizarre conversation with a festival employee and read about her tire-slashing spree on page two.
