Minority Reports: Being A White Student At A Historically Black College...

EDIT: Nevermind. Misremembered.

This is a really interesting video but I really really don't want to read the comment section.

Saw this the other day. Interesting watch for sure.

Regardless of the white student, Moorehouse is an incredibly awesome university and provides such a significant education and service to the African American men that attend.

Historic, smart, sharp, ambitious, hard working (lots of doctors, lawyers, and other influential type positions), Moorehouse is an example all of us should follow.

Dope video. Yes, the issues are multi-faceted and quite complex. Nobody is wrong in their perspective or how they feel about it here. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough Tiago's out there. And yes, the idea of the culture at a Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, or similar changing to survive is like...nah.

I see where some of the black students and administrators are coming from with regards to keeping HBCU's mostly all black. But from a economic standpoint, that current model cannot be sustained. If they want to keep the doors open, they have to open up admissions.

Great video that is a valid example of both sides actually having valid points as the issue is complex.

Also Samuel L Jackson was an usher at MLKs funeral while he was a student at Morehouse.

The one white guy at a HBCU always has the juice lol.

I'll give this a watch later.

I remember watching a grambling vs Southern football game years ago and noticed the grambling's Kicker was white. Always wondered what his day to day at school was.

I had a white teacher in highschool who went to an hbu cause they gave him an awesome scholarship and he had nothing but good things to say about the shcool.

Pardon my ignorance but a "historically black college" is an euphemism for what once was an "inferior" blacks-only college that had to be created out of necessity because of Jim Crow laws isnt it? By inferior I mean they werent as well funded as whites only colleges.

Pardon my ignorance, and I'm sure it's explained in the video which I can't watch right now, but what was his interest in choosing to go to an HBCU?

When I first moved to South Carolina, I was in an all-black high school. Well, I was one of four white students. It was a pretty good year. I was welcomed, and I never had any racial issues while I was there. People I was around a lot, same classes, soccer team, did ask me about white people issues, how I felt being around black people in school and being a minority in that sense. Made a good bit of good friends that year. That was 25 years ago lol, and I still see a handful of friends every now and then when we are at the same store or something. I know a few friends that went to Moorehouse. My son also went to a historically all black college (Vorhees College) is Sophomore year.

MadJakeChurchill said:

EDIT: Nevermind. Misremembered.

This is a really interesting video but I really really don't want to read the comment section.

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I've learned that comments sections about things like this or anything along a racial theme is toxic. It's sad that there seems to be a lot of people who constantly look for outlets to spew their racist garbage. But what I learned recently is that reading such comments is a form of assault. And since I learned this last week, I decided not to read them any longer. Just want to pass that info on.

A morehouse grad and Howard grad walk into a bar together. Who's the first to tell you where they graduated from.

AztecComplex said:

Pardon my ignorance but a "historically black college" is an euphemism for what once was an "inferior" blacks-only college that had to be created out of necessity because of Jim Crow laws isnt it? By inferior I mean they werent as well funded as whites only colleges.

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Inferior is a horrible choice of words.

That was really good.

A couple of things stood out

* Tiago was really all in. Student ambassador and president of Graves dormitory.

* The reporter asking about reverse racism, I thought that lady was going to throttle him.

Chadtwo said:

Pardon my ignorance, and I'm sure it's explained in the video which I can't watch right now, but what was his interest in choosing to go to an HBCU?

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They really alluded in the fact that he was all in the 'mission' of Morehouse and the leaders that come from it, they didn't really go that deeply into his motivations. Talked about using his privilage for a good cause etc.

Great video, thanks for posting it.

Bad sequel to a movie I liked.

Just to clarify(because people always think that HBCUs don't let non-black students attend), the controversy is should HBCUs actively recruiting non-black students to help finance the schools. Non-black students attend HBCU, they just weren't advertising to them.

AztecComplex said:

Pardon my ignorance but a "historically black college" is an euphemism for what once was an "inferior" blacks-only college that had to be created out of necessity because of Jim Crow laws isnt it? By inferior I mean they werent as well funded as whites only colleges.

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They were schools created to give black students/former slaves a chance to succeed. Yes, they weren't funded as well.

Chadtwo said:

Pardon my ignorance, and I'm sure it's explained in the video which I can't watch right now, but what was his interest in choosing to go to an HBCU?

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He identifies with the message of creating strong leaders. It's a good watch. He's a good guy.

AztecComplex said:

Pardon my ignorance but a "historically black college" is an euphemism for what once was an "inferior" blacks-only college that had to be created out of necessity because of Jim Crow laws isnt it? By inferior I mean they werent as well funded as whites only colleges.

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I wouldn't say 'inferior,' but just, distinct. I mean, in some respect, almost every college today started as an 'inferior' college for some group that wouldn't be able to attend another school. For instance, Catholic Colleges were initially founded in the United States because Catholics wouldn't have been welcome at schools like Harvard or Princeton, which typically accepted Protestants only from specific European-American backgrounds. So, colleges like Georgetown and Notre Dame opened as Catholic higher education colleges. Is Notre Dame inferior to William & Mary? No, they both developed distinct programs throughout generations.

SImilarly, women's colleges started because women typically weren't admitted to all-male elite colleges, so schools like the 'Seven Sisters' opened, most of which are still women only (Simmons, Smith, Wellesely, etc) or are predominantly women's colleges (but accept men into some programs IIRC). Was Mount Holyoke inferior to Dartmouth ~170 years ago? I suppose, but women wouldn't have been allowed to go to Dartmouth, and so they both developed distinct programs and specialties. Today, a Dartmouth education is probably "worth more" than a Mt. Holyoke education, insofar as people in specific professionals probably favor an Ivy League education versus a Seven Sisters education (even though Mt. Holyoke was the associated sister school to Dartmouth), but their programs are different, and you could still get strong opportunities at a Mt. Holyoke that you might not get at Dartmouth.

When it comes to education, especially when we're talking about elite colleges or exceptional colleges, it's really tough to rank them in "inferior" or "superior," because what they're trying to achieve is different. Is MIT inferior to Brown? Sure, Brown has a better economics program, while MIT has a better engineering program, but what they're trying to achieve is different. At Traditionally Black Colleges, saying whether one is inferior to another non-TBC college isn't the right comparison... Is Howard inferior or superior to George Washington? No, because they focus on different things, and while you could get two excellent educations at either Howard or GWU, there are things you can get at Howard that you can't get at GWU.

Really great video.

This character Tiago comes off so authentically and I'll admit I was dubious of the notion before watching. That was on me not him.

I like the dude a lot and his is an attitude in service of building bridges but he is always respectful of some of the mistrust or resistance, he's so self-aware. There were a lot of good people in the video just trying to learn and accept people actually and at the same time most of the older folk express their doubt in such a fair and articulate way.

In strange times like these it is nice to feel a little hopeful. Great stuff. Good guy as TalonJH said.

RedValkyrie said:

I see where some of the black students and administrators are coming from with regards to keeping HBCU's mostly all black. But from a economic standpoint, that current model cannot be sustained. If they want to keep the doors open, they have to open up admissions.

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I just graduated from an HBCU, NCAT, and they're interested in money and enrollment, not in keeping the school all black. They champion diversity, but cater advertisement to their core the most obviously, and partner a lot with UNCG. So not all HBCU's are at the same place and will probably have to model NCAT.

Amiablepercy said:

This character Tiago comes off so authentically and I'll admit I was dubious of the notion before watching. That was on me not him.

I like the dude a lot and his is an attitude in service of building bridges but he is always respectful of some of the mistrust or resistance, he's so self-aware. There were a lot of good people in the video just trying to learn and accept people actually and at the same time most of the older folk express their doubt in such a fair and articulate way.

In strange times like these it is nice to feel a little hopeful. Great stuff. Good guy as TalonJH said.

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Same, I came in saying "oh no, please don't make me hate this guy/video" but I think Vice did a good job and authentic is the perfect word for Tiago.

Saw this video last week. Very interesting. I'd love to see a follow up with him in a few years since he's a freshman, and he really gives me that freshman year "I'm 19 but I'm gonna pretend I know what I'm doing with my life" vibe. Plus it'll be interesting to see how Moorehouse changes in that time.

We need more Tiago's, honestly.

This is quite a must watch. Rarely you see something so multi layered and complicated. Pretty much everybody has valid points here but ultimately preserving the culture should be essential

Tom Hardy Bane Voice said:

We need more Tiago's, honestly.

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Amen

WhoTurgled said:

I had a white teacher in highschool who went to an hbu cause they gave him an awesome scholarship and he had nothing but good things to say about the shcool.

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I feel like it's pretty rare to see people talk shit about the place they went to college anyway though. To hear most people tell it, their school was always the best thing ever.

Except me. I will fucking complain anytime the alumni association hits me up for money.

F34R said:

When I first moved to South Carolina, I was in an all-black high school. Well, I was one of four white students. It was a pretty good year. I was welcomed, and I never had any racial issues while I was there. People I was around a lot, same classes, soccer team, did ask me about white people issues, how I felt being around black people in school and being a minority in that sense. Made a good bit of good friends that year. That was 25 years ago lol, and I still see a handful of friends every now and then when we are at the same store or something. I know a few friends that went to Moorehouse. My son also went to a historically all black college (Vorhees College) is Sophomore year.

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Black folk are generally the most welcoming, understanding and empathic folk around if you're cool people, but necessarily cautious.

You can even see it here. Step into the BCT and say wassap and you'll be welcomed. Other communities...not so much.

Speaking of, it never ceases to bother me how other communities of color casually treat other people of color (even their own people depending on complexion) like shit. Mostly looking at you Southeast Asia, India, and a few other notables. Caste systems and colonization really did a number on that region.

Dreams-Visions said:

Speaking of, it never ceases to bother me how other communities of color casually treat other people of color (even their own people depending on complexion) like shit. Mostly looking at you Southeast Asia, India, and a few other notables. Caste systems and colonization really did a number on that region.

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Colorism is a real thing in so many cultures. There was a great episode of The Stoop podcast recently about colorism in the US & Africa, and I've seen it in Persian culture too. It blew my mind to hear lighter skinned Persians put down darker skinned Persians as lower class / undesirable.

yogurt said:

Colorism is a real thing in so many cultures. There was a great episode of The Stoop podcast recently about colorism in the US & Africa, and I've seen it in Persian culture too. It blew my mind to hear lighter skinned Persians put down darker skinned Persians as lower class / undesirable.

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My friend from India said it's reeeeallly bad there AND among the Indians that have immigrated to the US. They don't say it, but he made it pretty clear that he'd be put out of his home if he ever brought home a girl that wasn't Indian or white. Anything else was patently unacceptable. Actually disowned. And Caste system out there in India keeping whole blood lines from being able to climb economically and improve their class/status.

Dreams-Visions said:

Black folk are generally the most welcoming, understanding and empathic folk around if you're cool people, but necessarily cautious.

You can even see it here. Step into the BCT and say wassap and you'll be welcomed. Other communities...not so much.

Speaking of, it never ceases to bother me how other communities of color casually treat other people of color (even their own people depending on complexion) like shit. Mostly looking at you Southeast Asia, India, and a few other notables. Caste systems and colonization really did a number on that region.

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I understand what you're saying no doubt. My first city I worked in as police officer was predominately African-American. 80%. Mostly, race never came into play as to how I was treated by the public. I treated everyone with respect, and it didn't have anything to do with race. Played basketball all the time with the younger kids and teens when working. I'd go to the courts when I was off work and play with the adults, and while they were apprehensive at first about how physical they could play since I was a cop, and white lol, I assured them that behavior didn't have to change just because I sometimes wear a uniform. We got into some heated games, bloody noses, bruises, it was great playing there. I earned a lot of respect by showing them that I was not above them in any way. Even arrested a few people while I was on duty, and later came out to play in some games. Nothing but respect. One guy I arrested had to fight with me because he didn't want to go to jail. That was a Friday after noon. I got all his paperwork done, made sure all the bond papers were filled out, got it all to the judge before he left for the day. PR bond, and that guy was out before dark. Saturday morning, I'm out there playing with the guys, he comes out to play. Gave me a handshake, quick should bump, and said thanks and asked why I didn't hold his paperwork since he was trying to fight. I know no one wants to go to jail, understood his frustration, and it wasn't anything personal. Let's play some ball!

It's how you treat people, period.

Does the weight of a country's history take precedence over individual good will? For me that was the takeaway question. There's no real answer to that either, at least not a single correct answer.

Dreams-Visions said:

Black folk are generally the most welcoming, understanding and empathic folk around if you're cool people, but necessarily cautious.

You can even see it here. Step into the BCT and say wassap and you'll be welcomed. Other communities...not so much.

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White-ass dude coming in to confirm. Grew up in what used to be a predominantly Italian/Polish neighborhood that by my childhood was deeply black (and is now primarily composed of Nepali refugees). I could never understand why other white folks treated our neighbors so contemptuously. No one black ever made fun of me, ever tried to fight me, or made me want to not go to school; the white kids I knew sure did all of that, though. Likewise, when I started high school in a public, city school that was about 60% black no one treated me poorly, but the second I was at a lily-white suburban high school I somehow had enemies. Crazy shit, and my girlfriend had similar experiences.

And I know so many white people who don't even know how to act around someone of a different race. It boggles my mind. Just act like you would around anyone. Maybe even take an interest in things they like that you don't know much about, like you would with other white people.

F34R said:

I understand what you're saying no doubt. My first city I worked in as police officer was predominately African-American. 80%. Mostly, race never came into play as to how I was treated by the public. I treated everyone with respect, and it didn't have anything to do with race. Played basketball all the time with the younger kids and teens when working. I'd go to the courts when I was off work and play with the adults, and while they were apprehensive at first about how physical they could play since I was a cop, and white lol, I assured them that behavior didn't have to change just because I sometimes wear a uniform. We got into some heated games, bloody noses, bruises, it was great playing there. I earned a lot of respect by showing them that I was not above them in any way. Even arrested a few people while I was on duty, and later came out to play in some games. Nothing but respect. One guy I arrested had to fight with me because he didn't want to go to jail. That was a Friday after noon. I got all his paperwork done, made sure all the bond papers were filled out, got it all to the judge before he left for the day. PR bond, and that guy was out before dark. Saturday morning, I'm out there playing with the guys, he comes out to play. Gave me a handshake, quick should bump, and said thanks and asked why I didn't hold his paperwork since he was trying to fight. I know no one wants to go to jail, understood his frustration, and it wasn't anything personal. Let's play some ball!

It's how you treat people, period.

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Good on you, man! That's proper enforcement work - getting to know your community, because at the end of the day it is YOUR community, too. And not being vindictive toward someone because doing so just breeds more of it.

I felt for those kids who were genuinely concerned about where this could lead. I had a lot of mixed emotions watching this. How do you balance trying to preserve an institution that means so much to so many while trying to also maintain its viability?

CrankyJay said:

I felt for those kids who were genuinely concerned about where this could lead. I had a lot of mixed emotions watching this. How do you balance trying to preserve an institution that means so much to so many while trying to also maintain its viability?

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These students have every right to be concerned, yeah. It's a really fascinating dichotomy, because Tiago certainly seems to be putting in the work, but it's also really sad to see a bastion of black education be in such dire financial straits that they need to resort to marketing to non-standard students.

Hopefully, he comes out of Morehouse and does good work for the world, but I absolutely feel for the students who feel like their school is losing or sacrificing something to have him there.

I went to a HBCU but I lived off campus.
It was cool and all my fellow students were cool and most of my instructors/teachers were great.

If it matters I'm 3/4 anglo and 1/4th Inuit.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_State_University

PlanetSmasher said:

These students have every right to be concerned, yeah. It's a really fascinating dichotomy, because Tiago certainly seems to be putting in the work, but it's also really sad to see a bastion of black education be in such dire financial straits that they need to resort to marketing to non-standard students.

Hopefully, he comes out of Morehouse and does good work for the world, but I absolutely feel for the students who feel like their school is losing or sacrificing something to have him there.

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But he was there because he wanted to be. Not because he was actively recruited. In addition, that older mentor in the meeting said there has always been one or two minority students.

Still, I can completely understand how they would feel seeing him. I thought an interesting clip was the mom of an incoming student asking how many minority students there were. It's a legitimate concern.

As arbitrary as it may be, they should probably strongly limit the acceptance of non-standard students with a cap to ensure the campus culture won't be endangered. As long as that's the case I feel it can only help both the financial situation and also create an atmosphere where white people can learn from first hand experience and leave the college to maybe do actual good in the world

Raven117 said:

Regardless of the white student, Moorehouse is an incredibly awesome university and provides such a significant education and service to the African American men that attend.

Historic, smart, sharp, ambitious, hard working (lots of doctors, lawyers, and other influential type positions), Moorehouse is an example all of us should follow.

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Thanks for making me feel worse. ;)

I had a full blown scholarship to Moorehouse coming out of High School in 2000. But chose to pass it up to stay close to family (issues). Felt I would be fine eitherway. But nope.

Sometimes it's good to force Know it all Teenagers to go against their decisions, if it's for their own good.

Afrikan said:

Thanks for making me feel worse. ;)

I had a full blown scholarship to Moorehouse coming out of High School in 2000. But chose to pass it up to stay close to family (issues). Felt I would be fine eitherway. But nope.

Sometimes it's good to force Know it all Teenagers to go against their decisions, if it's for their own good.

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Oh man! That would have been sweet! Oh how we all think we are just so smart at 18.

patientzero said:

White-ass dude coming in to confirm. Grew up in what used to be a predominantly Italian/Polish neighborhood that by my childhood was deeply black (and is now primarily composed of Nepali refugees). I could never understand why other white folks treated our neighbors so contemptuously. No one black ever made fun of me, ever tried to fight me, or made me want to not go to school; the white kids I knew sure did all of that, though. Likewise, when I started high school in a public, city school that was about 60% black no one treated me poorly, but the second I was at a lily-white suburban high school I somehow had enemies. Crazy shit, and my girlfriend had similar experiences.

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There is some hardcore truth to that. I remember having a breakdown in high school one time from being made fun of so much. The ones who apologized were the black and middle eastern kids, along with the white kids who hung out with them. The ones who didn't never really let up and were just complete pieces of shit.

dragonbane said:

As arbitrary as it may be, they should probably strongly limit the acceptance of non-standard students with a cap to ensure the campus culture won't be endangered. As long as that's the case I feel it can only help both the financial situation and also create an atmosphere where white people can learn from first hand experience and leave the college to maybe do actual good in the world

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What kind of nonsense is this? The campus culture won't be damaged, excluding people or putting a cap won't solve anything. HBCUs and even Black Fraternities/Sororities has never been about seclusion and has always been about inclusion of all types. Non-blacks shouldn't feel intimidated to be on a HBCU campus and I have never seen that ever happen on my college campus (Bethune-Cookman University).

Bman94 said:

What kind of nonsense is this? The campus culture won't be damaged, excluding people or putting a cap won't solve anything. HBCUs and even Black Fraternities/Sororities has never been about seclusion and has always been about inclusion of all types. Non-blacks shouldn't feel intimidated to be on a HBCU campus and I have never seen that ever happen on my college campus (Bethune-Cookman University).

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Have you watched the whole video? I felt all of the black students were raising pretty good points on how they would find it problematic if suddenly a big bunch of white students are walking on campus. I'm white myself so I can't personally speak to it but I felt it made a lot of sense

dragonbane said:

Have you watched the whole video? I felt all of the black students were raising pretty good points on how they would find it problematic if suddenly a big bunch of white students are walking on campus. I'm white myself so I can't personally speak to it but I felt it made a lot of sense

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Yea, it seems to me the biggest risk would be if upper and middle class white kids/parents saw it as trendy to attend an HBCU. Then you risk essentially gentrifying a university.

Some of them are good schools with lower tuition and close to home.
I know a few people that went to them for that reason

At first I thought this dude was so fucking selfish but, now I see him as at least self aware.