Claremont McKenna College Has a Race Problem — This is Also On Us

[KMOD]

When misunderstanding, ignorance (willful or otherwise) and insensitivity to the cultures, lives or experiences of others (that is the non-majority) lead to hurtful images and actions, what is the minority to do? Do you have any ideas? To be a student of color on CMC’s campus is to exist in a space that was not created for you. What does this mean?

Overt racism as it has existed in the past (images of Emmett Till’s disfigured face…images of Black students being spat on as they attempted to desegregate learning institutions in the 1950s come to mind) is rarely seen in the open. No one has ever called me a “nigger” to my face. This does not mean that racism does not exist. Racism is a scary word. No one wants to be considered “racist” but what does being “racist” actually mean in the 21st century? According to the Oxford dictionary, racism is the “belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.” So while I have never been called a “nigger” to my face, I have had peers imply that I was only admitted to CMC because of my race, to fill a diversity quota. This stands, despite my scoring in the 99th percentile on the ACT and my invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall with my school orchestra (Choate Rosemary Hall), that I was given after over 15 years of formal classical violin training. While I have never been called a “nigger” to my face, a peer that I had once “hooked up” with, drunkenly told his friends that he “doesn’t fuck with that ethnic pussy” in reference to me, immediately devaluing my womanhood and identity in a public space — in Appleby dorm, in fact. While I have never been called a “nigger” to my face, I’ve cringed as people have confused me with other women of color, or assumed I go to Pitzer because of my race.While I have never been called a “nigger” to my face, I have received an event invitation to Pirate Party on Facebook, where the cover photo depicted Black slaves and the caption was a directive to them, “I’d like the bouncy house over there.”

full article here: https://medium.com/@tlemmons/cmc-has-a-race-problem-this-is-also-on-us-a0e166fe3cef#.1ptyngdj3

So a lot of people are in a tizzy over a Claremont College student seeking a POC roommate on facebook. Claremont, where a college dean resigned after telling a student "they didn't fit the CMC mold." http://laist.com/2015/11/12/claremont_spellman_resignation.php

Doesn't seem shocking to me at all why the student was seeking a POC as a fourth roommate. In fact, I'm more disturbed by the student who made it a big issue. Why exactly was Dalia Zada offended by this? Why did she feel the need to respond to the posting?

So in light of how this facebook scrimmage is making the news, I'm adding some context for why this facebook posting likely occurred.

[yeoman6987]

1. It is so unfair that every POC in college has that thought by some as an

Affirmative action pick. It is insulting and totally not true. That needs to be addressed and anyone who says it to someone should be admonished by the public. It is 100 percent racist to think or say a POC is Affirmative action. Anybody who sued the college due to not getting into college should be cased dismissed immediately.

[KMOD]

2. I too am disgusted by statements like that.

I remember when some RWers were saying it about President Obama as well.

[yeoman6987]

3. I had forgotten that. So nasty!!!!

I have no doubt it's the RWers saying and thinking this of all POC.