Obviously, dance clubs like Sparty's Night Club have hired some pretty inept advertisers.

Here's a suggestion to make the sign outside of Sparty's more concise and applicable to its customers' apparel: WHITES ONLY, AND WE DON'T MEAN T-SHIRTS.

The sign outside of Sparty's announces that the dress code prohibits anyone wearing FUBU, Sean John and Phat Farm clothes, along with "work boots" and "thick gold or silver chains."

All three clothing brands are owned by and worn mainly by minorities.

So what is Sparty's trying to say? The sign comes across as trying to limit the number of black customers at the establishment.

Along with the sign out front, Sparty's might as well change its address to Montgomery, Ala., circa 1950s.

There doesn't seem to be any logic behind the dress code. Phat Farm, Sean John and FUBU clothing are not gang-wear and don't incite violence and certainly aren't in bad taste.

Come on, can Sparty's seriously believe it isn't being even slightly racist with its dress code?

Imagine if Sparty's banned Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters and GAP clothing. That probably wouldn't happen because the same stigma isn't attached to those brands. People who wear the banned clothing items shouldn't be immediately stereotyped as violent, unsavory customers.

Maybe Sparty's isn't racist at all, but it's pretty hard to defend the club with such a blatant insult right on its front window.

Clubs like Sparty's need to rethink their dress code and, more importantly, their ideals toward their customers.

Here's another little suggestion for a Sparty's sign: "We apologize."

But it's going to take a lot more than an apology from Sparty's to make amends with the black community that it has so needlessly insulted.