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An off-campus Martin Luther King Day party that featured guests in blackface and "gangsta" dress continued to receive heavy criticism Thursday, with students at a UA forum decrying racial stereotypes and ignorance that persist on campus.

The two-hour forum drew about 100 people, mostly a black audience, and many said that while they were upset, they weren't surprised that such incidents could still occur in 2007.

"It is a reincarnation of slavery and a reincarnation of the mockery of a culture," said Amber Williams, a 24-year-old communication and creative writing senior from Tucson. "When I think of their actions, I think of minstrel acts. Their actions show their ignorance, their lack of understanding of people."

The party, similar to others around the country, had students using the King holiday as motivation for a "black" themed party. While hosts and guests have defended their actions by saying it was harmless fun with no intention to be offensive, the negative stereotypes invoked have drawn widespread complaints of racism.

At the forum, many said it's easy for negative racial stereotypes to exist on a predominantly white campus like the University of Arizona, where white students are 64 percent of the student body and black students just less than 3 percent. Several questioned what effect the forum could have when those in attendance were uniformly critical of the party.

"The people who really need help aren't in this room," said Greg Gills, a second-year law student from Philadelphia. "The answer is education and the university is in a position where it can require that education, especially when people show there is a need."

Rob Woods, a 21-year-old political science senior from Phoenix, said the party was clearly racist. While Woods said he was encouraged that President Robert Shelton wrote a letter to the campus community expressing his disapproval of the party, he expects more from the administration.

"He said some good things in the letter, but more action needs to be taken," he said. "If we allow them to spread these hate ideas and don't do anything, it condones it."

In his letter, Shelton said the attention the party has received can "only further the very real belief in other parts of the country that the state of Arizona is racist, that the University of Arizona is not a welcoming institution and that we are hostile to African Americans."

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Shelton continued. "However, this type of behavior and those who condone it (regardless of their ethnicity) feed that perception."

At the forum, several students said the party demonstrates a need for some type of mandatory class in diversity and race relations.

Some said they were disappointed Shelton wasn't there, but Dean of Students Melissa Vito said she organized the forum quickly with the knowledge that Shelton was already out of state and couldn't attend.

"My goal for today is that we have a good, honest, safe discussion about this and that together, we guide our next steps," Vito said.

Veronica Hirsch, graduate program coordinator in the department of soil, water and environmental science, described her Apache and Jewish heritage and said it's still too convenient to "cubby-hole" people.

"This is not simply a black issue or a black problem. I'm personally offended by this," she said. "This minimizes the humanity of black people and the emotionally charged history of the nation."

Hirsch said she was disappointed the outcry was not more widespread on campus.

"Why has there been little to no reaction in my own college?" she said. "This is not just about a response from an ethnic studies department."

Portia Robinson, an 18-year-old journalism freshman from San Diego, said there are enough educated black people right on campus to counter negative stereotypes, but they're overlooked.

Robinson told of an incident in which a man came into the campus office where she works and said, "What's up, sister?" Robinson said she simply replied "Have a nice day, sir," and was upset by his comment.

Chandra Jennings-Jackson, a health education senior, said she wrote a letter to the editor in the campus newspaper as a first step, but urged students to work together to fight racism.

"As much as we'd like to think things have changed since 1968 or 1967 or before that, things haven't changed that much," she said. "Culturally, we still don't get each other when people don't understand that painting your face black is wrong."