Learning to Be You...

I recently read an article discussing Michelle Obama's experience as an undergrad at Princeton. The article details how her white roommate's mother was enraged at the thought of her daughter having to live with a black woman on a campus which up until very recently had been mostly segregated. But Michelle Obama never let that get her down. She has not visited Princeton's campus since she graduated and later went to Harvard to gain her law degree. But how do you separate yourself from the general racial views of your specific institution of higher learning?

First check out the article about Mrs. Obama.

Being that for the majority of my life I have attended predominantly Caucasian schools I can definitely attest to the each institution's need to help white students over blacks. I cannot think of more than two things put on a campus specifically for us and if it is there it is something we have to constantly fight for. Nothing is ever designed for us and our direct benefit.

Which brings to me to a situation currently happening at my institution. There is something there for the benefit of minority students. It has existed almost four years. It took twenty years to get it and now the administration wants to hide it. Hide it or hide the colored faces that peep at you from the full glass windows. Now...if the students take a stand..I mean really work toward getting it together and coming to the administrators and say we don't think this is right why ignore them? You get their tuition dollars too! Yet, if a white girl told you she did not feel comfortable with something you'd blanket the entire campus with it and make everyone feel that pain.

Let's not forget that in any given academic year how many racial incidents can happen. At this particular institution there have been numerous racially charged incidents. HUGE incidents...yet and still they still have no plans to stop these incidents. There was even an incident involving a benefactor for which they escorted him out, sent a ridiculous e-mail and that was that. Yet you want to get rid of something that benefits multi-racial and inter-cultural students? I think not.

Furthermore, we have always had to conform to what they think is the standard of beauty is. We have straightened our hairs, some have even bleached their skin, or slimmed the width of their noses. I saw we no longer have to do that. We can just wash and go...just as they do-straight, curly, kinked. Our skin is beautiful...cafe au lait, bronzed, chocolate, so dark almost purple does not matter. We're all beautiful. Just because we're not exactly what they want does not mean that we are not what we should be.

Everything has to be exactly as they think. Not until this year has a magazine devoted itself solely to black beauty. Italian Vogue is featuring all black models...what a blessing in 2008. Forty years after Dr. King's death...which brings to my next post...

-In Harmony