Cracking the Code: Race,Class, and Access to Nightclubs in Urban America

Using ethnographic data collected in the downtown nightlife of Athens, Georgia, we explore black males’ responses to being rejected from nightclubs via dress code enforcement in predominately white settings. We contrast these responses to the general experiences of other black males who gained access. Although race is a factor in the enforcement of dress codes, we find a fluid relationship between race, class, and taste that influences black males’ responses and experiences. We illustrate how the nuanced reality of lived racial and class experiences for many young black males problematize the narrow interpretation of a black cultural essence.

Kenneth Sean ChaplinEmail:

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Reuben A. Buford May   is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University. His research areas include race and culture, urban ethnography, and the sociology of sport. He is the author of Living Through the Hoop: High School Basketball, Race and the American Dream (New York University Press, 2007) and Talking at Trena’s: Everyday Conversation at an African American Tavern (New York University Press, 2001). Kenneth Sean Chaplin   is a graduate student in the department of Sociology at Texas A&M University. His research interests include racial and ethnic relations and the sociology of sport.