Rhonda,

I understand what you’re saying about giving up ground, to the extent that we don’t have much ground to give. At the same time, it was an opportunity for *us* to take a position of racial and cultural leadership where few others would not.

I’ll concede to you that a nominal piece of ground was given away. But that ground was fertile; we sewed the seeds of progress in it; and we’ll harvest its crops for our betterment in ways that we wouldn’t have …

if we hadn’t given that ground.

No, it was not framed like that on this blog. I am refering to reactions that I read on other blogs. Most the ignorance came from the white blogs where people know little to nothing about HBCUs.

The people who have an issue in the black community are in the minority really. Those who I have read have pretty much said the same things therefore I tried to figure out why they would have that perspective in the first place.

The instances that I mentioned where some of the few times when blacks were not all open arms to whites. They usually are and that cannot be denied.

You keep repeating things as if you dont get it. I agree with you but I have read around and I see where others are coming from and I am trying to tell them that their is no need to feel that way at all and they should not.

I gave examples of situations were mabye the same mentality was applied.

There is nothing wrong with trying to see where someone is coming from. I have always learned to see both sides.

Everyone has always been welcomed that doesnt mean they are going to bombard the place. The majority of the “others” have little to no interest in going to a HBCU, simply because of the fact that it is a challenging experience being in a minority. I have always applauded those who have attended.

Moving on…

Everybody has always been welcome at HBCU’s….

I don’t know what to say other than if a white student studies at a HBCU, they have acknowledged your heritage, participated in it and honored it.

I don’t see what they could possible be taking away other than an understanding and a respect.

They’re never going to get the history, the heritage or the blackness out of Morehouse all they can do is celebrate it with you.

When I went to Morehouse, we always had a few whites students and they usually did well. I would guess that all HBCUs have white students. And I will join hands to sing ‘Dear Old Morehouse’ with them any day of the week.

Nobody is handed a degree from Morehouse. They don’t care who you are or whom you know; you will be sent home just the same.

I love my college for the simple fact that on a daily basis, I was challenged by my brothers as well as each and every professor.

Congrats to him and every graduate of the class of 2008. I know they earned that degree.

My grandfather is half Indian and half black. However my grandfather has recently decided to begin to unload himself of all his land and inheritance. My great-granfather owned multiple gardens and stores in Jamaica which were passed down to him. Guess which side of the family got more of the property, the Indian side despite the fact that the land and property were things that were in my black great-grandfather’s side of the family for years. These people have taken it. Some people in my family do not understand the big deal because they said that we all will be sharing it. However dont we know the case. The issue is that in Jamaica, there are very few establishments of such a large scale that are fully black owned. Many are even locked out of this. My aunt said the other evening that she refuses!! refuses!! to have the Indian side of the family step foot on my great grandfather’s property. My uncle claims that she is being exclusionist. The issue really goes back to the idea that non-blacks have owned so much and have flourished while too many blacks have not. When we have such establishments, we must hold on to them. Many still want to know why grandfather would do that. My mother claimed that if she goes to Jamaica this summer and has to see those people in her place, then she will “throw up” despite the fact that many of these people are blood in relation to us. Pretty complicated I know but its the same thing.

I try and tell them that it doesnt have to be that way and if there is open dialogue then such things will be just fine but some are not having it. Kind of like when my cousin married a white women and I thought that WWIII would start because my aunt refuse to attend. Some of the women in my family claimed that white women were taking their men (when that is really not the truth just hysteria). I never knew my family could have ever embarassed me in that fashion but they did it. They did it…in public.

Another examples is of white captializing off of black art. They often times get further when they captilize off of black art than the black artists. I remember one night in BK when the black crowd got silent when a white guy was on stage reciting black poetry. He was emulating it in cadence and everything. He went on to win and people walked out.

It has nothing to do with hate for the other or that they think they are inferior to them. It has to do with the way in which our society has been constructed with blacks at the bottom. Many try their best to hold onto everything as they possibly can. It’s almost like having a fear of being vulnerable, of being upstaged and even culturally homeless on top of having an inferiority complex.

Its really almost the same thing. Many whites, hispanics and asians attend these institutions on the regular but the idea of a white valedictorian from one of the most prominent of the HBCUs causes anxieties. I understand where my brothers and sisters who have a lil’ feeling in their stomach feel are coming from I see it all the time.

I congratulate Joshua and I also think that he is very, very cute and I wish him the best. I heard and read what he was saying and it was very touching. I esp. liked it when he spoke about the diversity in being black. He has mixed half brothers and sisters. His brother will be starting in the fall I believe.

Institutions such as Morehouse and other HBCUs were created out of necessity , not for the purpose of exclusion of those who are not black. Therefore, to act as if this white young man is breaking some type of boundary, like the MSM is doing, is ridiculous.

~Sepia

I read your post and I heard you, but I disagree and I believe it is simple, very simple.

I didn’t think that this was the first white person to attend an HSBU and, IMO if we desire to hold things as our own, we are no different than them.

“the attention that this white valedictorian is getting and the articles that make claims that the black students all slacked off and now this white guy comes to make the school a better place like I have been reading can be disheartening.”

I haven’t read anything that said the black students were slacking off. I understood it to mean that a white student came and did a good job and was recognized for it. No better, no less.

I agree with you. People are acting suprised when my cousin’s roomate at Howard was Asian. Howard has a great engineering program and she majored in engineering. People are def. showing their ignorance when they act completely shocked about a non-black at a HBCU. The sad part is that yes, now that they have made it front news, people will think that Morehouse now has credibility despite the 141 or 142 years of excellence. It is America.

Kenya W.

I agree, that is exactly why my cousins all took that route. I regret not taking that route at times.

Ms.Martin-

The Dr.King message that you speak of his the speech that people have made the face of his 39 years of life. While I hear what you are saying, it is misplaced entirely.

1. I never ever said that others should be excluded. Therfore you are making a gross assumption and I will kindly ask you not to do that.

2. I was merely explaining the anxieties of a minority in a society operated and controlled by a dominant group. As black people, we have very few places (they are shrinking) where we have control and are able to celebrate our heritage, fellowship and be our whole black self without compromise. We have very few places were we can hold up as places of excellence. HBCU’s have always held that place so for some, the attention that this white valedictorian is getting and the articles that make claims that the black students all slacked off and now this white guy comes to make the school a better place like I have been reading can be disheartening.

To really break this down is not simple and the simplicity that some want to use cannot work.

I am merely stating both sides.

I as I usually do, try and figure out both sides.

If you read my post then you would have seen that I explained how I felt about it.

How would you be losing ground by including everyone?

I truly understand the pride in excellence of what was born out of sheer survival – but the attitude of ownership is no different than the attitudes that excluded us from the very institutions that forced us to create our own.

Morehouse will forever be known as an premier institution of higher learner that produced some of the greatest minds so much so that it is now sought after by all.

If you fail to see this as progression, Dr. Kings message is lost.

RhondaCoca:
I don’t think that I have ever read someone articulate that point quite the way that you just did. THANK YOU!
It has nothing to do with exclusion. It has everything to do with building our community and having ownership of something.
After, my senior year where I was the ONLY black girl in my class, I attended an HBCU. I Chose to go there for the since of our common heritage and my own family’s tradition.
I take pride in the fact that many newly freed blacks made it their mission to start institutions of higher learning. I relished in that tradition. It is ours, but I accept that others might want to join in, they follow everything else that we do.

To be honest with you the only people who would be surprised by Packwood’s story would be white people and ignorant black people (educated and uneducated) who never placed any value in HBCUs in the first place. Maybe now, since they realize white people attend these schools, they will give these institutions consideration.

Its not about being prejudice. I both like and congratulate Joshua Packwood however where many are coming from is that they feel they are losing ground amongst some of the few places that they have strength, ownership and community. When you are a minority who is chastised, subordinated, excluded etc…losing ground in such places that have come to be a cornerstone for many in our community is tough. However I encourage people to not look at it as that. I encourage them to instead see him as someone who accepted and valued people who were different from him. In the end, I understand both sides of the story.

I saw coverage of his speech and that crowd didn’t seem that happy for him yet he calls them his brothers and seemed to sincerely mean it.

I also saw his interview with Sanchez and was moved by his reasons for attending Morehouse. Especially in consideration of the fact that some of us black folks can be just as ignorant as those West Virginians.

I don’t like prejudiced black people anymore than I do white ones.