Posted on 02/22/2008 1:59:35 PM PST by OnRiver
My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before," the future Mrs. Obama wrote in her thesis introduction. "I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong. Regardless of the circumstances underwhich I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second."
"My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before," the future Mrs. Obama wrote in her thesis introduction. "I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong. Regardless of the circumstances underwhich I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second."
The thesis, titled "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community" and written under her maiden name, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, in 1985, has been the subject of much conjecture on the blogosphere and elsewhere in recent weeks, as it has been "temporarily withdrawn" from Princeton's library until after this year's presidential election in November. Some of the material has been written about previously, however, including a story last year in the Newark Star Ledger.
Obama writes that the path she chose by attending Princeton would likely lead to her "further integration and/or assimilation into a white cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant."
During a presidential contest in which the term "transparency" has been frequently bandied about, candidates have buried a number of potentially revealing documents and papers. In Hillary Rodham Clinton's case, there's been a clamoring for tax records, White House memos and other material the candidate's team has chosen to keep from release. The 96-page Princeton thesis, restricted from release by the school's Mudd Library, has also been the subject of recent scrutiny.
Earlier this week, commentator Jonah Goldberg remarked on National Review Online, "A reader in the know informs me that Michelle Obama's thesis ... is unavailable until Nov. 5, 2008, at the Princeton library. I wonder why."
"Why a restricted thesis?" asked blogger-pastor Louis Lapides on his site Thinking Outside the Blog. "Is the concern based on what's in the thesis? Will Michelle Obama appear to be too black for white America or not black enough for black America?"
Attempts to retrieve the document through Princeton proved unsuccessful, with school librarians having been pestered so much for access to the thesis that they have resorted to reading from a script when callers inquire about it. Media officers at the prestigious university were similarly unhelpful, claiming it is "not unusual" for a thesis to be restricted and refusing to discuss "the academic work of alumni."
this reporting is one big piece of garbage. it just regurgitates everything we already know. i dont feel like reading 96 pages, but i might have to since the guys that got it didnt read it
Michelle has an “assimilation problem” but it’s not on account of color.
“.....obtained exclusively from the campaign,...”
Interesting..wonder if this thesis will be the exact same thesis at Princeton to be released AFTER THE ELECTION IS OVER IN NOV...(or has it been scrubbed)..
The fact that her thesis was all ABOUT race suggests an unhealthy obsession, and that she should have been studying more worthwhile subjects.
My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my ‘blackness’ than ever before,”
Maybe, just maybe, that's because such is how you hold yourself out, sweetie. An Ivy League school in the 1980s? Big ol' racists? Riiiiiight.
This is sure to bring Obama’s momentum to a screeching halt!
So what? This is hardly interesting. Some student feels lost. Big deal. I agree.
If those are the “killer quotes” from the paper, I won’t waste my time either.
This is her problem not ours. Go see a good shrink, don’t pawn your guilty sh## on us! If she feels this way, he feels this way!
“SAY NO TO O FOR PRESIDENT”
HE HAS PERSONEL ISSUES THAT ARE NOT OURS TO DEAL WITH!
“obtained exclusively from the campaign,...””
Hmm... I’d like to see the font used on the paper...
If it makes you feel any better, Michelle, I always felt like a visitor on campus, too. I rightly perceived the professed liberality and open-mindedness to a sham, and couldn’t wait to leave the university environment. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a string of sinecures awaiting me. I didn’t have the wherewithal to attend Princeton and Harvard. I never qualified for special scholarships, special programs, or special employer recruiting efforts. Despite the fact that we came from the same socioeconomic upbringing, you have been privileged and valorized your entire adult life merely because of the number of melanocytes in your skin. I have not.
How does that make you feel?
How should it make me feel?
Most likely she was being brainwashed by all the leftist profs there to think this was a good use of her intellect. Or maybe she knew it was all silly, but also knew how to write what they wanted to hear so they’d give her a good grade.
good morning LOL
I have some sympathy for what she is saying, but deal with it and move on. You could substitute “short”, “ugly”, or “fat” for “black” and say the same point.
The fact that this is her thesis rather than random writings says a lot. A real thesis has equations, graphs, and integral signs. There’s no place for self-pity.
I was born in Hawaii and it made me far more aware of my haolieness. Boo humpin’ hoo!
Do you mean PERSONAL, or do you mean PERSONNEL?
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