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Student organizers said the event, called Black Commencement 2017, is the first university-wide ceremony for black students at Harvard and is designed to celebrate their unique struggles and achievements at an elite institution that has been grappling with its historic ties to slavery.
More than 170 students and 530 guests have signed up to attend the ceremony, which will be held May 23 at Holmes Field, near the Harvard Law School campus. The event will feature speeches by black students, alumni, and administrators.
“I can only imagine how special I will feel when I walk across that stage and be able to honor my identity and my struggle at Harvard,” said Woods, who is completing a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Education. “I know this is exactly what students like me need to be inspired as we leave this place as emerging global leaders.”
I guess as long as the globe will be willing to give them the preferential treatment that their alma mater has, they might make it. Unfortunately, it’s much more likely that there’s a shark out there who’ll be looking to do anything to get an edge and will be able to exploit their over-inflated sense of self-worth.
Not only are these kinds of things encouraging racism, but they’re really not doing the students any favors when they get out in the wide world where exceptions won’t be made for them. These students will have to either come to terms with their actual internal equality with the rest of the world in a much less forgiving environment, or they’ll be adding to the disgruntled and underachieving population that forever has their hackles up about absolutely everything that isn’t paying them tribute.
Way to go Harvard, way to put those racism barriers back up.