<p>[A</a> Message from Dr. Judy Bonner on Vimeo](<a href=“http://vimeo.com/74730939]A”>http://vimeo.com/74730939)</p>
<p>Very nice!!</p>
<p>Bama is taking steps…</p>
<p>President Bonner:
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<p>A must-see video. Unflinching, devoid of denial, committed. </p>
<p>Last week I asked Dr. Bonner to make me proud. Today she did.</p>
<p>Roll Tide.</p>
<p>I don’t know. I was left feeling a little Luke warm. It was ok, but I was hoping for a little more passion. A little more emotion. I wanted a rah rah speech. Am I off base?</p>
<p>presidents aren’t usually rah rah. They’re serious leaders, not talk show folks.</p>
<p>Heck, Bama doesn’t even have a rah rah head football coach. lol</p>
<p>Focus on the steak, not the sizzle. We need change, not a rally. And the times, they are a-changin’.</p>
<p>Good points. But in a crisis, Presidents most certainly deliver stirring speeches.</p>
<p>The whole Bill Cosby thing felt weird to me. Sorta like when white folks want to prove they aren’t racist. They always say “I have lots of black friends”. Bill Cosby is a fabulously wealthy, incredibly popular American Icon. He’d be welcome at the head of any table in the country.</p>
<p>I guess rah rah was not the right wording.</p>
<p>President Bonner, drawing parallels between the integration of the University in 1963 and the issues on the table this moment:</p>
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<p>President Bonner has planted a flag in the ground in a very public way. She has placed pressure on UA to move in one direction; the right direction. I applaud her leadership. Let’s help her and the University any way we can.</p>
<p>The delivery wasn’t fantastic, but the message was as malanai stated, “Unflinching, devoid of denial, committed.”</p>
<p>I am proud that Alabama leadership is taking a stand, that they will support the students, and do what is necessary, even if it is little steps, to ensure systemic and profound change. I think this is a clear message that this issue is not to be swept under the rug.</p>
<p>I thought she was perfect. This is serious. She was serious. I am proud of the UA.</p>
<p>Oh, and Bill Cosby is an outspoken advocate of all people simply Doing the RIGHT THING. Perfect.</p>
<p>Jeez, Bigdaddy, did you find a scintilla of something positive in Dr. Bonner’s speech? How does nitpicking it move things forward?</p>
<p>If you’ve followed Bill Cosby’s actions on race, you know that he’s a man who will not be manipulated by whites or blacks.</p>
<p>This was a serious, and touchy subject, to address. You can’t make everyone happy but I think she handled it well.</p>
<p>I’ve pretty much been a grump about this situation and I though Dr Bonner was terrific. Malanai is spot on … she addressed the issue head on without excuses and, better yet, publically set expectations for continued improvements. Well done!</p>
<p>Roll Tide, 3togo.</p>
<p>I’m proud that she was so straightforward about the issues and that it is taken very seriously. Will be interesting to see what the steps consist of.</p>
<p>First off - so what does “continuous open bidding process” mean?</p>
<p>RTR</p>
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There’s an article in the campus paper about this today. It seems to mean, at least, that all the sororities can give more bids–and it seems highly likely that it has already been agreed that bids will be offered to the women who were excluded on the grounds of race.</p>
<p>Haters are always going to hate so I will choose to ignore the folks who will find something wrong with Dr. Bonner’s delivery, words, intentions, or whatever they want to pick at. </p>
<p>Dr. Bonner could have taken the easy way out with a letter to the community but she didn’t. She chose to speak to the UA community and the rest of the world “in person.” She is a strong leader with a clear vision and I for one am so proud of how she has led the Greek system towards inconclusiveness and acceptance of those who a small group wanted to shut out. Bravo!!! </p>
<p>I look forward to watching the University of Alabama continue on it’s way to becoming one of the finest universities in the country. </p>
<p>Roll Tide!!</p>
<p>I think she did a great job.</p>
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I totally agree with this … and I thought her lack of slickness actually was a positive. She is real person speaking from the heart with conviction … at least that is how her talk hit me … and it was so much more powerful in a talk instead of a letter.</p>
<p>I’m a big fan of her honesty. She didn’t use euphemisms. She used the cold hard words. She said the Greek system is segregated. You have to admire a public figure doing that. </p>
<p>If you can name it, you can fix it.</p>