<p>You’ll find good company on the “Race and College Admissions” thread where people go to vent. This is absurd over-focus. Won’t be responding further to GFG.</p>
<p>Oh for crying out loud, GFG. Black theater (of which my BIL was a founding member in Seattle) exists because MOST theater is WHITE theater! At the Oscars recently, a black woman won only the 7th Oscar going to a black woman and only the 14th to a black person EVER, so please don’t imply that the theater/movies are a wildly diverse place. Just as there are black colleges and women’s college because at one time all colleges were white and male. there is black theater. This doesn’t mean that no other races can view the plays, and it’s entirely possible that there are actually members of other races, but the idea is to present theater from a perspective, and with more opportunities for, black people. Do you also wish to shut down the HBCU’s? What about the Asian museum here in Seattle-should that be closed too?</p>
<p>This is getting silly and offensive. I’m done too.</p>
<p>Ah, you can’t answer my question, can you? If blacks are diverse individuals about whom non-blacks shouldn’t assume any common characteristics, like taste in music or speech patterns, then what purpose does a BLACK theater group serve?</p>
<p>“Absurd over-focus” To me that sounds an awful lot like “You’re an uptight white woman.”</p>
<p>Can I ask why there should be a black theater program then?</p>
<p>Because many past presidents, faculty, and graduates of Harvard were slave owners.</p>
<p>Percentage wise, dont more people identify as Hispanic than African American in US?
So we should have more Hispanic entertainers receiving awards than blacks, right?</p>
<p>I believe I am posting respectfully and thoughtfully. It’s unfortunate that you’re choosing to label a viewpoint with which you disagree absurd and ridiculous. That is how dialogue is shut down. </p>
<p>I am honestly having trouble grasping the concept of a “black perspective” in 2014 when people with a darker skin color are every bit as diverse in their experiences and viewpoints as the group of people who have attached earlobes. Wasn’t communicating that understanding–that blacks can’t be painted with a broad brush–one of the objectives of the project? I am questioning if whether, in order to maintain a bond of commonality that is growing more tenuous in the 21st century, people of color are choosing to rally around the experience of racial persecution. If so, that is their right. But perhaps at some point a different sort of bond should be forged since this one demands that white people be painted with a broad brush. </p>
<p>Maybe these students would be interested in collaborating with Sandra Korn…</p>
<p><a href=“The Doctrine of Academic Freedom | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson”>http://www.thecrimson.com/column/the-red-line/article/2014/2/18/academic-freedom-justice/</a></p>
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<p>It’s simple - just shut down that which you don’t want…academic freedom is over-rated…If we could simply hand out the appropriate speech and behaviour code - color coded as needed - then everyone could follow the script and there would be no hurt feelings. Nothing that could possibly construed as racist (as determined by each individual in each individual case) may be stated.</p>
<p>Problem solved.</p>
<p>The GFG, in a vacuum, you would be right. But the fact is, there is a history here in which it makes a lot of sense for black students to feel some kind of common identity, regardless of whatever other differences they might have. There really isn’t a historic sense of “white” identity (at least in the US) that isn’t tied to white supremacy; in fact, a lot of people who are considered white now - Jews, Italians, the Irish - wouldn’t have been considered white historically in any event. There are, of course, ethnic, religious, and cultural organizations that would be expected to be almost all white, which is fine, and I don’t think many people would complain if someone decided to hold an Irish or German or Italian Arts festival, all of which would be predominantly white, and which would be far more equivalent to a Black Arts Festival than a White Arts Festival would be.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I do in part agree with you that there is no need to assume that every grievance is valid, and I think conflating “microagressions,” with actual racism is problematic. I also agree that some of these examples are pretty weak. One semester, I had two pale, freckled redheads that I took half a semester to tell apart, even though, once I got to know them, they looked nothing alike. Another, I had two tall, dark-haired jocks; same problem. It isn’t suddenly racism if that happens with two black students; of course I’m more likely to confuse a black student with another black student, just like I’m more likely to confuse two female students than a female and a male. Similarly, my teenage cousin, who likes wearing lots of gel, gets his hair touched all the time. Some of the other examples are more serious, but I have to wonder whether these are a set of cherry-picked examples or if this is actually reflective of anything like the regular experience of these students on Harvard campus. There will always be some racist and/or ignorant people - but I frankly have a hard time believing that life among the liberal, educated population at Harvard consists of a litany of offences and insults.</p>
<p>Of course, I have to wonder because I can’t speak to the experiences of these students. But the habit - not exclusive to this project, or to the black community by any means - of bundling together real racism, sexism, homophobia, etc with perceived slights and oversights actually undermines the credibility of the message by making it really hard to tell how deep the problem runs. </p>
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<p>While I agree that the “crying wolf” phenomenon of being maximally outraged and offended by unintended ignorant actions is counterproductive, the project in question is actually a good thing by making people aware of such annoyances in a non-personal context. I.e. someone who does not realize that something that s/he might say is annoying to someone else finds out without being personally blamed by someone whom s/he unintentionally offended (particularly if the latter is one of the always maximally outraged and offended types).</p>
<p>I think it’s quite clear that some if not most of the examples were pre-Harvard. Several were identified as being from “old friends” or “childhood friends.” Some referred to the ease of getting into college, which means it was probably high school. As such, I think"I too am Harvard" is a poor title, as the relationship between the examples in the piece and Harvard is never articulated.</p>
<p>As far as we know, the students didn’t express maximum outrage-- otoh, plenty of claiming such, on this thread, out of proportion to what we do know, which I find indicative. The association with “racism” was put forth by some on this thread, said on this thread- it does seem like an attempt to undermine the credibility of these students. </p>
<p>Think about it. Why such an extreme reaction to what the kids did? Put another way: why such extreme attempts to paint the students as extreme? </p>
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<p>Perhaps some people have been listening to too many “maximum outrage all the time” people to the point that they have adopted similar attitudes in mirror image – assuming that any comment about racism must be from one of those “maximum outrage all the time” people “crying wolf”, even when it is not.</p>
<p>From your wording I don’t know what your position is. </p>
<p>If some nice students at Harvard holding up signs reminds people so immediately of, say, Black Panthers or race riots, something that happened in some neighborhood or on some bus, or some current “max outrage” sort- well,they aren’t distinguishing, are they? In effect, they are saying, there go those Blacks again, always upset about something. </p>
<p>One thing I’ve noticed in our school district, is that there is clear separation between blacks who are African- American, and those who are African- Canadian, African- European, or just plain African.
Particularly the African Americans who bother to come to the district meetings, want the district to pay more attention to the fact that AA students are not doing as well as the other groups academically despite the language hurdle a few of the others have. ( I want to emphasize, that the philosophy of the * adults* is different, not as much the students, although when you keep hearing your parents say honors & AP courses are too much work & that your school is racist, despite having a black principal & superintendent, it’s harder to not adopt their attitude)</p>
<p>I think the project by the college students is useful.
I’d be curious to learn if in say ten years, they still feel the need to hang on to the dumb things people say.
Then again, if I had thought to write down the cruel, racist, sexist & classist ( not to mention ableist)things that people have said to me, and be photographed while holding those quotes, perhaps I wouldn’t have internalized them so hard.</p>
<p>“On the other hand, I do in part agree with you that there is no need to assume that every grievance is valid, and I think conflating “microagressions,” with actual racism is problematic. I also agree that some of these examples are pretty weak. One semester, I had two pale, freckled redheads that I took half a semester to tell apart, even though, once I got to know them, they looked nothing alike. Another, I had two tall, dark-haired jocks; same problem. It isn’t suddenly racism if that happens with two black students; of course I’m more likely to confuse a black student with another black student, just like I’m more likely to confuse two female students than a female and a male”</p>
<p>Thank you. This. Well said. </p>
<p>Thanks to apprenticeprof for a respectful response! </p>
<p>I’d like to refer again to the speech I linked up-thread which deals with the issue of managing relationships that have had a history of prejudice. She points out that sometimes straight people, in an effort to connect and relate to gay people, might say silly, awkward and/or ignorant things. The speaker gave the example of some older relatives telling her that “Will and Grace” is their favorite TV show, and that they really like Will. She could have decided to mentally roll her eyes and go back to the table with her gay friends. But she chose listen with her heart and recognize that some of these folks were out of their comfort zone too because they had never interacted with a lesbian before, but were trying to be nice.</p>
<p>Similarly, white people may say awkward and ignorant things to black people, but their intent is primarily one of acceptance. When a white person says to a black person something badly-phrased about the black person seeming white, perhaps these students should focus more on the positive intent of that comment. than the unfortunate other implications. The white person feels they are expressing that they are surprised to find that the black person is not as different from them as they would have expected, that they feel they can relate to and enjoy the black person just as they would any of their white friends, and that common ground can be found between them as far as interests and life goals. Remember there are white people, perhaps even at Harvard, who have had next to no interactions with African-Americans at all prior to attending college. When I visit my parents, I’m astounded at how racially homogeneous their town is. I can spend a whole day taking them to stores and doctors’ offices and never see a black, Asian, or Hispanic person, so I could imagine someone from their town saying one of those comments.</p>
<p>So it seems to me black people can chose to focus on the racial barriers that have been knocked down when a white person stumbles in an attempt to say, “You’re not so different from me as I thought you might be,” or they can focus on the slight of a badly-worded comment about them not really being “black” and go on to reassert that they are not like people, don’t want to be like white people to be accepted, and then point to a major difference between the races, which is their history of being victimized and oppressed by racism.</p>
<p>"So it seems to me black people can chose to focus on the racial barriers that have been knocked down when a white person stumbles in an attempt to say, “You’re not so different from me as I thought you might be,” </p>
<p>Take the word racism out of it and let me put it in a different perspective for you. My ex-husband was at a band rehearsal when someone said that they were going to run out for food and would he like anything to eat. He responded, “Yes. May I please have a hamburger, strawberry shake and some french fries.” To which the person responded, “Wow - You are the whitest black man I have ever met.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I didn’t think that being polite was limited to white people. So, maybe this was the 50th time he had heard this in his life. Don’t you think at some juncture it is a little vexing to hear that because you are polite and speak properly that you are “white” and that you might not take it as a compliment or a means of saying we are not so different? </p>
<p>Have you ever had a phone interview which went really well, showed up for an in-person interview and the position was no longer available? That happened to my ex-husband more than once because he sounded “white” on the phone. And before you say that maybe he just didn’t interview well in person, the person basically told him on the phone that he had the job and he just had to come in and fill out some paperwork. Combine the two scenarios and you can see why someone may have a biased view of the statement, ‘you sound white’.</p>
<p>Also, you can pick most of the individual statements and say, 'what’s the big deal - get over it" However, combine a lifetime of hearing those statements over and over and it is a big deal. </p>
<p>Moved</p>
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<p>Burgers, shakes, and fries are “white people’s food”, and the speaker had never seen a non-white person eat such food?</p>
<p>My son heard, “You’re the whitest black I’ve ever known” more than a few times. It didn’t bother him. He understood what they meant. FWIW, he’s completely apolotical and would rather not deal with issues of race at all-period.</p>