First White Valedictorian of Morehouse…

On a rainy day in Atlanta, Georgia the 2008 graduation class of Morehouse College makes it way to the 124th Commencement Convocation from the Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel. Following the same ritual of their first day of college, they are lead by traditional African drummers down a corridor lined with facility and Alumni members who wear white hats with maroon bands embellished with Morehouse College Alumni to signify their status. As the graduates make their way to their seats, the announcer speaks of their accomplishments with the tone of a proud mother. One interesting fact she mentions is that in 1987, when these men were born, gas was $.89 cents a gallon; quite a difference from the near $4.00 prices of today.

While she continues with her tribute the five hundred and twenty men make their way to the top of the hill. They pause to reflect on what it means to be following in the footsteps of the great men of past. The drums grow silent as the announcer speaks of the struggles and sacrifice that their parents have endured to give their sons the opportunity for a college education. Once she finishes, the audience begins to cheer as the men march into the area and take their seats for the ceremony. This ceremony will mark the final time that they will be called men of Morehouse. Once they have walked across the stage and have matriculated they will worthy of being addressed as a Morehouse Man. This new title is not one to be taken lightly; being labeled as such means that one has some big shoes to fill as you strive to live up to the accomplishments of distinguished alumni such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On this day another milestone is being set as Joshua Packwood, redefines the profile of a Morehouse Man as its first white valedictorian; just as the Brown Bomber changed history by being the first Black man to be the heavyweight champion.

According to the United Negro College Fund, for most of America’s history, African Americans who received a college education could only get it from an HBCU (Historically Black College or University). In 1965, in Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress officially defined an HBCU as, among other things, an institution whose principal missions were, and are the education of Black Americans, was accredited, and was established before 1964. The first HBCU, Cheney University in Pennsylvania was founded in 1837. Today, there are 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (2008). These institutions have provided the means for Black Americans to get a degree when there were no opportunities to attend other schools. Of these 105 schools, Morehouse is ranked as one of the best and is the only HCBU with an all male student body.

Morehouse College strives to create balanced men who are intelligent high achievers with a socially and racially conscious mind set; in his February 15, 2008 inaugural address, President Robert M. Franklin Jr. mentions that Josh Packwood is Morehouse. He continues to describe Joshua as a graduating senior on his way to Goldman Sachs on Wall Street who happens to be Euro-American and brings much appreciated diversity to our campus. Josh was one of two Morehouse finalists this year for the Rhodes scholarship. But, just three days before his interview, Josh’s father died. He had every reason to lose focus and abandon hope, but true forever to Morehouse tradition; he doubled his determination and represented us with great distinction. Morehouse has enabled Josh to learn through research tours to the London School of Economics and to China while bonding with fellow students who will be lifelong friends.

Packwood chose to attend Morehouse where he would be labeled as a minority over colleges such as Yale, Harvard and Columbia. He states in a Newsweek article, "I've been forced to see the world in a different perspective, that I don't think I could've gotten anywhere else. None of the Ivies, no matter how large their enrollment is, no matter how many Nobel laureates they have on their faculty ... none of them could've provided me with the perspective I have now." (2008) Packwood’s achievement has stirred up controversy and has inspired many to address racial issues; for example, many people thought that Whites were not permitted to attend Morehouse.

Packwood, [was able to make his selection] knowing that he had been picked on his merits, and not as a token white recruit, [that knowledge] made the difference. "That said I could come here and, ironically, be accepted for who I am. I thought I made the right decision then, and I know I made the right decision now. Being surrounded by black men for his undergraduate career has taught him more about diversity. I've been here for four years and yet, I cannot give you the definition of black. I cannot tell you what a black man is. I really learned to look much deeper. It takes a lot of effort to know people."

From my experience with prejudice and racism, this essay made me really think about how far we’ve come with race relations and opened up some painful wounds. Reading Champion of the World and finding the words to write about it has been difficult for me. I enjoyed the story, and I felt as if I was sitting at the table listening to the stories of my Aunts, Uncles and other family members and reliving their past experiences of growing up in the South. Maya Angelou writes “It wouldn’t do for a Black man and his family to be caught on a lonely country road on a night when Joe Louis had proved that we were the strongest people in the world.” (90) Strangely, in 2008 , there are still some parts of the South where a Black person still wouldn’t want to be caught in this position and I still cringe at the times I’ve been called the N-word in this day and age.

The South has had a colorful history of negative treatment of Blacks that began with slavery and continued with Jim Crow laws, Grandfather clauses to prevent blacks from voting, lynching, and other acts of bias and segregation. By comparing this historical context with racially tense events of today, I knew that the battle to fully gain civil rights is still ongoing. While working on this essay I discovered that my Aunt graduated in 1967 from high school in Arkansas and had never been in an integrated classroom during the entire time of her schooling. I found it shocking. This assignment challenged me to think about racial stereotypes and realize that a lot of it comes from being ignorant and unwilling to challenge that ignorance. Racial tolerance and civil rights are tough topics to discuss and pose difficulty in getting an accurate analysis. I get upset at times when I have to think about what it means to forge an identity as a black woman and how I have to live with biases because of my skin color and its defining assumptions about my character that sometimes aren't true. I find myself having to censor my opinions because I don't want to fit a stereotype and have to hold my tongue when dealing with racist people.

Despite these assumptions, I have found examples where Blacks have managed to succeed despite the challenges of racism. There are numerous tales of Black professionals who have enjoyed generations of success and by discovering their stories I am able to have positive role models as my inspiration. Although there is progress, much work remains because there are many places where racial attitudes have yet to change. I encounter this frequently on the Internet with racist messages and when dealing with the negative images portrayed of Blacks within the media and entertainment fields.

While growing up I am fortunate to have gained an appreciation of Black History by learning about the many contributions and achievements of African-Americans; this appreciation has allowed me to understand the meaning of “Champion of The World” and identify with the pride felt by the people in the store as they witness history in the making. In an odd sense Joshua has embodied the Dream of Dr. King and his alma matter Morehouse, by learning to transcend color and enhance the campus with his presence and perspective by taking the risk to attend and share his experience. I felt a feeling of pride while listening to Packwood give his valedictorian speech and I hope that his experience will inspire increased positive change with racial relations between Blacks and Whites.

Works Cited

Franklin, Robert. “Inaugural Address. Let Us Make Man ... Morehouse Man.” Morehouse College. 15 Feb. 2008. 25 May 2008 <http://www.morehouse.edu/inauguration/cer_address.html>.

Haines, Erin. “2008 valedictorian is different kind of 'Morehouse Man'” Newsweek. 11 May 2008. 25 May 2008 <http://www.newsweek.com/id/136530/>.

Angelou, Maya. “Champion of the World” The Bedford Reader. Ed. Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.

United Negro College Fund. “Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) ~ An Historical Overview” United Negro College Fund Website. 25 May 2008