White valedictorian: A first for historically black Morehouse

Quote :

"Joshua Packwood knows what it's like to be a minority. This weekend he'll be the first white valedictorian to graduate from the historically black, all male Morehouse College in the school's 141-year history. Morehouse, in Atlanta, Georgia, is one the nation's most prestigious universities of its kind. For more than a century, the school has prided itself on personifying the dream of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the school's most notable alums, by producing "Morehouse Men" - intelligent and successful black leaders. "Because I'm one of the only white students, it's easy to call me 'the white boy,' I'm naturally going to stand out," says Packwood. But Packwood, 22, doesn't stand out solely because he is white or has maintained a 4.0 grade point average. For those who don't know him, what is surprising is that a Rhodes Scholar finalist turned down a full scholarship to Columbia University to attend the all-black men's university."

the rest here
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/16/white.valedictorian/index.html



and i thought this was great...

Quote :

"For the most part, Packwood says the experience among his Morehouse brethren has been overwhelmingly good - with the exception of a few negative comments. "One guy came up to me and told me -- he didn't like the fact that I was here," recalls Packwood. "He absolutely didn't like the fact that I dated black women." "So I heard him out, and said, 'I appreciate your opinion but don't agree with what you have to say,'...and now we've become, not necessarily close, but very cool," Packwood says. That student, Vinson Muhammad, says he was curious about the reasons why someone like Packwood would choose to attend an all-black college. "I don't necessarily support him being here, but because he's here and we can't discriminate against other races, I support him and his mission to be successful in life," says Muhammad, a junior. "I just kind of wish he had done it at a different institution." "

5/16/2008 12:29:05 PM

Quote :

""I don't necessarily support him being here, but because he's here and we can't discriminate against other races, I support him and his mission to be successful in life," says Muhammad, a junior. "I just kind of wish he had done it at a different institution.""

Oh brother.

5/16/2008 12:30:31 PM

Hahah. Went to Shaw and the profs would always lecture me about how the whole university was bullshit so they demanded I switch as soon as I got accepted into State where I would get a real education. So I did.

5/16/2008 12:30:48 PM

Quote :

"Even though he received the support of school administrators, Packwood's scholastic success did not come without some controversy. When word got out that he might become the next valedictorian, some of his classmates - even friends - were admittedly chafed. "They approached me and said, 'Yeah, I have a problem with you being valedictorian. I know you've earned it and even though I know you on a personal level - I like you a lot - but it disturbs me that out of roughly 3,000 black men - there's not one that's done as well as or better than you academically,' " says Packwood. Still, the majority of students told CNN that he earned his accolades and they stand behind him. Some say, if anything, Packwood's academic success should serve as a lesson to his fellow students. "I think that it should be a wake-up call to an all black campus," says Muhammad. "At Morehouse we're supposed to be at the top as black men. We only have a few white students and to see a white student will rise to this - is something unsettling to me because it shows that we need to work harder." "

5/16/2008 12:33:55 PM

that muhammad kid needs to be taken out back and shot

5/16/2008 12:35:35 PM

if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit

5/16/2008 12:35:59 PM

yeah, you white people have it so rough

5/16/2008 12:36:51 PM

your mom had it rough last night

5/16/2008 12:37:49 PM

I think this is a kick ass story, and Im glad he enjoyed his 4 years at Morehouse. Morehouse is the "Stanford" of HBCU's, so it's QUITE the accomplishment for him. Im glad CNN published a story worth reading!

5/16/2008 12:38:56 PM

i just like how these people interviewed always want it both ways

5/16/2008 12:39:54 PM

^^you're annoying

But yay for him!

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 12:40 PM. Reason : ^you're not annoying ]

5/16/2008 12:40:35 PM

haha

oh damn, I thought you were saying that about jeepin

in which case, I would agree

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 12:41 PM. Reason : asdf]

5/16/2008 12:41:16 PM

^^i thought she was talking about me as well.



[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 12:43 PM. Reason : asth]

5/16/2008 12:42:41 PM

hahaha nope!!! I couldn't be mean to you!

5/16/2008 12:44:17 PM

5/16/2008 12:52:30 PM

i can't wait until the general election campaign

this "racism" shit is finally gonna get squashed. a few people already don't tolerate it, and the rest of the people are about 10 seconds away from flipping out

yes, good story by CNN. very interesting topic. very gay for even giving the hater air time

5/16/2008 1:25:53 PM

i had considered going to howard for law school, but that shit is expensive as fuck

5/16/2008 2:12:49 PM

Sounds like a bunch of racists to me.

5/16/2008 2:16:56 PM

That is the type of school that the girl from the tourette's video will never go to.

5/16/2008 2:40:42 PM

5/16/2008 2:46:35 PM

CNN now has a photo from his graduation party.

5/16/2008 2:55:05 PM

this is a first

while it is understandable, it is unfortunate that many of them seem to have an "us against them" mentality as well as an undeniably inferiority complex

it's an exciting first at their university

they should be proud

5/16/2008 3:02:17 PM

Quote :

"the school has prided itself on personifying the dream of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr"

by being racist and segregated? i know the school doesnt discriminate, but some of the students sure do, and perpetuate that feeling

V Cant tell if that was targetted at what I said, but thats what I meant.

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 3:05 PM. Reason : s]

5/16/2008 3:03:20 PM

segregation is not just a white inclination

it's an inclination of all peoples

whether through race, religion, nationality, gender, whatever

it's sociology 101

although, I do think that America and American's have done an excellent job in breaking down this divisive tendency of human nature

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 3:06 PM. Reason : .]

5/16/2008 3:04:18 PM

^^ poor white people! always getting shit on!

5/16/2008 3:06:14 PM

I read the article and he said that he always felt more comfortable in black communities and that he prefers dating Black women...so I guess it would make sense for him to go to an HBCU.

I read in another news article on this guy that the guy's biological white father was very abusive to him and his mother and his best friend (who was a black high school classmate) took him in and that's when he started to really appreciate the differences in their upbringing.


He apparently has some kick ass job on Wall Street now, so apparently Morehouse prepared him in a solid way and he took advantage of it.

5/16/2008 3:10:14 PM

Quote :

"if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit"

sadly this is so. If it was the other way around and it was a black kid...

5/16/2008 3:24:07 PM

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

Quote :

""if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit""

5/16/2008 3:30:32 PM

life IS so unfair for white people

5/16/2008 3:31:06 PM

There's double standards in place for both sides. It sucks.

I'm not gonna make a big issue out of it.

Good for this guy though for breaking social boundaries. Double good for him for making valedictorian and making $texas at his new job.

5/16/2008 3:41:37 PM

Quote :

"Packwood fit in immediately at Morehouse. His charm, movie-star good looks and chiseled physique made him popular among students. He was elected dorm president and to class council during freshmen year - and was a favorite at campus fashion shows."

Quote :

""Mr. Packwood is deserving. He has earned this," says Dr. Robert Franklin, the president of Morehouse. "We are committed to merit, to hard work - no matter who it might be.""

Thankfully somebody there has the right idea....

5/16/2008 4:30:30 PM

Quote :

"Even though he received the support of school administrators, Packwood's scholastic success did not come without some controversy. When word got out that he might become the next valedictorian, some of his classmates - even friends - were admittedly chafed. "They approached me and said, 'Yeah, I have a problem with you being valedictorian. I know you've earned it and even though I know you on a personal level - I like you a lot - but it disturbs me that out of roughly 3,000 black men - there's not one that's done as well as or better than you academically,' " says Packwood."

Ahahahaha....

5/16/2008 4:32:50 PM

i thought it was ironic that his last name was packwood at a black school

5/16/2008 4:34:12 PM

LOL

5/16/2008 4:36:23 PM

Quote :

"if a white person said something like that about a african american, the news/NAACP would be all over that shit"

5/16/2008 4:52:48 PM

shouldn't we be congratulating everyone else except the white person?


they were the first class to ever have not won it

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 4:57 PM. Reason : .]

5/16/2008 4:57:14 PM

lol

5/16/2008 4:58:21 PM

I thought marshmallows always floated to the top in hot chocolate?

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 5:11 PM. Reason : ]

5/16/2008 5:10:32 PM

Just like in pool, the white ball has to keep the black ball in the hole.

5/16/2008 5:40:11 PM

At least Tiger Woods is beating a bunch of old ass white dudes in the PGA Tour.

5/16/2008 5:44:55 PM

he's half asian though.

5/16/2008 5:51:49 PM

Jaybee is the voice of racial objectivity.

5/16/2008 6:38:28 PM

Which one is a pic of the guy?

5/16/2008 6:43:17 PM

take a wild guess genius

[Edited on May 16, 2008 at 6:44 PM. Reason : THE ONE WITH HIS NAME IN THE PICTURE???]

5/16/2008 6:44:29 PM

As a Morehouse alum, I'm not at all upset about this.

5/16/2008 7:03:54 PM

Quote :

"Jaybee is the voice of racial objectivity."

this is true

5/16/2008 7:24:07 PM

you and ernie really need to go ahead and bwn and get it over with

5/16/2008 7:26:41 PM

we need a pivot man... dnl?

5/16/2008 7:27:35 PM

if by pivot man you mean guy that sits in the corner jerking it i'm game

5/16/2008 7:28:04 PM

I thought you were ernie?

5/16/2008 7:29:11 PM