Forum Index
»
Private & Independent Schools
Why do white parents think black kids are accepted into private school only because of their race?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| BTW, MANY whites have told me things similar to what OP posted. So maybe you should ask your friends if it rings a bell, since you are so naive. |
Anonymous
| I think anyone who thinks there aren't white parents who believe that black kids are accepted for affirmative action reasons alone, must be living in another country. I am white and have heard white parents say the same thing. Not many, but some. Obviously the OP is onto something and we should have some faith that as an African American parent she is picking up on something that white parents like myself and most of the posters on this thread are not, and would not. There is nothing racist about pointing out the racism in others. It exists. I think some schools do a better job of heading this sort of thing off than others, but goodness this is a legitimate issue for all of us. |
Anonymous
| OP's plaintive wail is but one of many reasons affirmative action should be abolished in every way, shape, and form. |
Anonymous
Yes, in EVERY way. No more "unqualified" women at all. Most of all, no more Bushes with SAT scores below average at Yale. Heck, my boss should go, total incompetence in charge...and he is white, because they "needed" a white guy. |
Anonymous
If you want to abolish it, then abolish it for everyone and stop any attempt to bring in different students for different reasons. Only let kids in for academic accomplishments. No affirmative action for great athletes, rich kids, legacies, artistically talented kids, or kids who bring international backgrounds or come from interesting places. Just grades and test scores, nothing more. |
Anonymous
|
OP, if by "only because of their race," you mean white parents think black kids are unqualified to be at their school, I don't think that is generally the case. I, do, however believe personally that at the most competitive schools, race can be a factor that tips the balance between a highly qualified white applicant and a highly qualified black candidate. Is this an unreasonable belief?
(And of course, there are many other factors that may tip the balance more strongly--sibling status, clearly, and allegedly, great wealth, celebrity, or even going to the "right" preschool.) |
Anonymous
I agree. Race is absolutely a factor in the admissions process. But the issue is are we talking about "highly qualified white applicant" v. "highly qualified black candidate." Or are we talking about "highly qualified candidate," one of whom is white and the other of whom is black. The distinction is that the former suggests two different categories, and the theory goes, two different sets of standards. I think that unless you are directly involved in the admissions process, you simply cannot do more than speculate one way or the other. |
Anonymous
| Most whites are unaware of the consequences of ending affirmative action. If that happened, very few whites would get into medical schools, especially in California and Virginia. It would be mostly Asians. |
Anonymous
Hmmmm. I hear you. But what, may I ask, are you suggesting regarding race and IQ? |
Anonymous
| 11:19 here. I meant two highly qualified applicants, one of whom happens to be white and one of whom happens to be black. |
Anonymous
You are lucky then. When I think of most elite private school kids, I think they are there because their parents are rich, have connections, or were legacies. And NOT because they were necessarily the most intelligent children. |
Anonymous
|
I don't think any of us would want our children to attend a school that used only grades and test scores for admissions.
And I absolutely agree that there is more affirmative action based on wealth, connections, legacy status, than there is based on race. Unfortunately, OP is right that there are still parents who grumble about race. I am a white, ivy league grad and I know for a fact that I was not accepted at my college for my grades or test scores, I was accepted for my athletic ability. I was totally an affirmative action acceptance in that sense. Was it a good thing, or a bad thing? I don't know. But no one seemed to resent my presence on campus the way some white parents grumble about affirmative action for people of color. |
Anonymous
PP may have been suggesting that cultural and family values are such that many whites don't value education or work as hard at it as members of certain Asian groups. |
Anonymous
I would be very happy to send my children to a high quality, low student-teacher ratio school that used only grades and test scores for admissions.... and I think that accepting students to well resourced colleges on the basis of athletic ability is a total waste of resources. It is sad to some of the best scholars in the world teaching baby-level courses and distributing As like confetti. |
Anonymous
I don't interpret pp's response that way. Have you been to CA? Have you been to the top level universities in CA? There are a lot more descendants of Asian immigrants there than here, from 1st generation to 6th generation or more. The 1st & 2nd generation have a lot of fire in their belly to succeed and consequently many Asian Americans pursue medical, law, & business degrees. In addition to the East Asian immigrants, now you have the South Asian immigrant population to add to the competition to get into the top programs at the top schools. It's not a matter of cultural/ethnic issues, but a matter of the fire in the belly that is lacking if one is complacent and comfortable. |