Harvard's Black Commencement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have none of you been on an Ivy graduation recently? Why do multicultural events bother you? Do you mind when the frats (which are often extremely racially and economically segregated) have their own graduation events? Is it racist for your (mono-ethnic) family to have an all-white graduation party?

Graduation is a happy time and everyone celebrates any way they want to. Harvard is not the only Ivy to have multicultural graduation events. The largest ones are Asian. There are Lavender and Native American and First Generation and Black and Latino graduations at many schools. Its just a chance for each community to get together and honor each other.

Thank you for being a voice of reason.

This times a million. I find it interesting, having attended an SEC school whose white greek system was fairly racist and exclusionary, I find it funny to see the uproar.

So, your reasoning here is that because White people have the greek system and are racist and exclusionary, it is reasonable to accept that minorities can behave the same way.

My point is you don't nearly see the same type of pearl clutching. White racism has been acceptable forever.

[Anonymous]

My kids have always been the minority in their public schools. They are white. Maybe we will push to have a middle school graduation for whites. My kids and others like them will certainly be facing a lot more struggles in their future than black students who just graduated from Harvard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have always been the minority in their public schools. They are white. Maybe we will push to have a middle school graduation for whites. My kids and others like them will certainly be facing a lot more struggles in their future than black students who just graduated from Harvard.

Add having you as a parent to their list of struggles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When are they going to announce the “Harvard White Commencement?”

Wouldn’t this “party” or “celebration” be considered racist?

Hello Mr. "why can't I say the n-word?". We were waiting for you to show up. What took you so long?

Why the snarky comment? Probably because you have no good answer to my question.

If it wouldn’t be appropriate for the “whites,” why is it appropriate for any other group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yet some folks are cheering them saying yes, what a great idea yet Dr. Martin Luther King said

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Yet the black community, the hispanic community continue to push separate things as the first this the first that instead of just talking about the accomplishment.

Well done

You are taking MLK's quote out of context. He did not ask you to ignore our differences - he just meant that no one is inferior or superior because of those differences. He clarified this MANY times. MLK was VERY proud of his Blackness.

I see no problem with the graduates of an ethnic/cultural group having a ceremony for themselves. Many times, they were each other's primary support network and there is often a bond forged when folks are minorities at a PWI. What has always puzzled me is why Whites are so insecure and threatened.

[Anonymous]

It is amazing to me that so many of you seem puzzled by the reaction to this. Whites have a negative reaction to this because they feel they are being excluded and that somehow the minority kids are getting some kind of advantage or special treatment they they do not get. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When are they going to announce the “Harvard White Commencement?”

Wouldn’t this “party” or “celebration” be considered racist?

Hello Mr. "why can't I say the n-word?". We were waiting for you to show up. What took you so long?

Why the snarky comment? Probably because you have no good answer to my question.

If it wouldn’t be appropriate for the “whites,” why is it appropriate for any other group?

Be honest. You're only concerned that the black students are doing it. You couldn't care less about the Asian, etc. events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is amazing to me that so many of you seem puzzled by the reaction to this. Whites have a negative reaction to this because they feel they are being excluded and that somehow the minority kids are getting some kind of advantage or special treatment they they do not get. Period.

That's probably the dumbest thing I'll read all day.....what advantage is an extra get together during a hectic graduation season? If you'd bother to read the comments the overwhelming issue from whites and minorities both is that it appears to be divisive to have separate ceremonies for students of different racial groups at a time when we should focus on inclusiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is amazing to me that so many of you seem puzzled by the reaction to this. Whites have a negative reaction to this because they feel they are being excluded and that somehow the minority kids are getting some kind of advantage or special treatment they they do not get. Period.

Well, to be fair whites probably thought the advantage or special treatment began in the admissions process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is amazing to me that so many of you seem puzzled by the reaction to this. Whites have a negative reaction to this because they feel they are being excluded and that somehow the minority kids are getting some kind of advantage or special treatment they they do not get. Period.

Some whites here have objected because they have grown up learning that "whites only" and "colored only" was a bad thing so they are confused why this is a good thing. I'm interested in people's perspectives, honestly. It seems the consensus here is that whites are the majority everywhere and all the main celebrations, graduations, etc. are already welcoming enough to them, but I don't think that's true anymore at many colleges and certainly many high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is amazing to me that so many of you seem puzzled by the reaction to this. Whites have a negative reaction to this because they feel they are being excluded and that somehow the minority kids are getting some kind of advantage or special treatment they they do not get. Period.

Some whites here have objected because they have grown up learning that "whites only" and "colored only" was a bad thing so they are confused why this is a good thing. I'm interested in people's perspectives, honestly. It seems the consensus here is that whites are the majority everywhere and all the main celebrations, graduations, etc. are already welcoming enough to them, but I don't think that's true anymore at many colleges and certainly many high schools.

Are you in college right now or in high school? The world is still hostile to people of color. This thread confirms it.

[Anonymous]

So the article says that this will be the first university wide ceremony for black students
BUT
On 23 May, Harvard University will also hold its THIRD annual graduation ceremony for students of Latin American descent.

Was anybody "uncomfortable" or "feeling left out" or "worried about segregation" during those previous events for those students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is amazing to me that so many of you seem puzzled by the reaction to this. Whites have a negative reaction to this because they feel they are being excluded and that somehow the minority kids are getting some kind of advantage or special treatment they they do not get. Period.

That's probably the dumbest thing I'll read all day.....what advantage is an extra get together during a hectic graduation season? If you'd bother to read the comments the overwhelming issue from whites and minorities both is that it appears to be divisive to have separate ceremonies for students of different racial groups at a time when we should focus on inclusiveness.

I get it now. POC have been excluded, stigmatized and marginalized at some of the institutions for generations (hell, how do you think the AA Greek system evolved). But now that Whites are ready to be "inclusive," POC should abandon their own traditions because they are "divisive"? And you all cannot see how patronizing that sounds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the article says that this will be the first university wide ceremony for black students
BUT
On 23 May, Harvard University will also hold its THIRD annual graduation ceremony for students of Latin American descent.

Was anybody "uncomfortable" or "feeling left out" or "worried about segregation" during those previous events for those students?

What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the article says that this will be the first university wide ceremony for black students
BUT
On 23 May, Harvard University will also hold its THIRD annual graduation ceremony for students of Latin American descent.

Was anybody "uncomfortable" or "feeling left out" or "worried about segregation" during those previous events for those students?

I never heard of any uproar about the Asian graduation celebrations that have been going on for years.