Hello all,
I am a rising junior and I have started gaining interest in someplace I would like to go. I came across Bama. I was worrying about whether Bama grads get jobs outside of Alabama. Also I am really worried that is the south, the south in our school and community is hated on, and said as racist. I would just like to get advice on Bama.
Thanks!!
Yes, grads can get jobs outside of Alabama. With over 50% of the students being from OOS, there are plenty of students returning to their homes with jobs. And of course there are students who stay in Alabama and get jobs there. As for Bama being in the south and the south being racist, that concern is overblown. I don’t think Alabama is more racist than any other school. Times have changed. What school and community are you talking about that would hate an entire region of the country?
If you search this forum, you will find many threads on the topics you’ve mentioned. You most definitely will want to check out Bama! It’s not a fit for everyone of course, but please visit and research! 65% of Fall 2015 Freshman class came from out of state…and many of those are from IL, CA, TX, etc…places outside the “Southeastern US”. Roll Tide!
I think it is crazy that so much of the nation projects racism onto the South. It is not like Blacks were finding a warm welcome up North or out west. Why is the South still by far where most Black Americans live, if the South is so truly more racist? Many Blacks in fact are/have been moving back to the South after languishing in urban centers up north. The notion that Southerners are uniquely racist is racist! The conventional wisdom forbids stereotyping any group, unless that group is made up of White Southerners.
I was with you up until “unless that group is made up of White Southerners.” Even “White Southerners” don’t fit the all the stereotypes…whatever they are.
^I think that was @Atlanta68 's point.
the choice of mine to call it “conventional wisdom” is a clue that I don’t like it
From the *Crimson White/i a few days ago:
http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2016/04/a-brooklyn-girl-with-a-southern-charm
OP, I’ll bet there’s plenty of racism where you live. Unfortunately it exists everywhere. That said, UA is a very welcoming place for everyone.
My son is graduating next week, with job offers in FL, AZ, MO, MA, and AL. This after interning in NY and MD. Good students get jobs everywhere.
Here are where UA has Alumni chapters:
http://alumni.ua.edu/chapters/
There are a ton of recent stories on racism at the University of Alabama (many about Greek life).
Here is a rally from late fall on campus “we are done”:
http://abc3340.com/news/local/students-march-for-change-on-university-of-alabama-campus
If you want to avoid universities which have had demonstrations and demands like this you’ll have to cross off at least 79 including Yale, Michigan, Dartmouth, Brown, NYU etc. Here’s a list for reference.
@AlbionGirl - do those schools have Diversity Officers?
Do those schools have racially integrated Greek organizations?
@ClarinetDad16: Well, I know that the Greek organizations (as well as lots of other student organizations) at the institutions I’ve been affiliated with (as a student and as faculty), none in Alabama and not all in the South, were technically integrated, but from a practical point of view, well, not so much.
Basically, there are very, very few colleges whose hands are clean on this issue. I don’t think it excuses anyone’s behavior, but it does calls into question the motivations of those who would try to call out a single college or colleges in a particular state or region on it.
So the OP is concerned with racism at UA, @dfbdfb - what is your motivation, may I ask to not provide background and seemingly discourage dialogue on this issue?
These are the Co-chairs of the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion at Alabama:
Dr. Norman Baldwin, a former president of the UA Faculty Senate and a current professor in the department of political science
Dr. George L. Daniels, assistant dean in the College of Communication and Information Sciences and associate professor in the department of journalism
Elle Shaaban-Magaña, director of the Women and Gender Resource Center and doctoral student.
Below them are twenty or so other members you can find at https://www.ua.edu/strategicplan/sub-diversity.php
This is very similar to what many universities have.
@dfbdfb agreed - clarinetdad seems to have an anti-Bama, anti-Greek agenda.
Some frat boys must have smashed his clarinet in college or something.
@ClarinetDad16: I have a child considering applying to UA, so I’m a fairly constant lurker (and occasional poster) on this corner of the CC fora.
Clarientdad seems to believe that any accusation of “racism” must be believed. Let us look at the demands of the We are Done organization, the one that was supposedly protesting “racism.”: http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2015/11/we-are-done-demands-equality-on-campus Keep in mind that similar groups are making similar demands and claims of racist incidents (many unproven or later proved to be hoaxes) across the country, even at schools that have a very good rep for inclusion and attempts at racial diversification.
If you read this overly sympathetic article from the reliably knee jerk liberal Crimson White student paper, you will see that this group was not protesting racism by any objective standard, but making about 11 demands, some of which I argue are racist on their part. For example, this group demands that UA increase the numbers of Black students and faculty by 2017. Yet there is no evidence that UA is discriminating against Black faculty and applicants.
We are Done obviously supports quotas, which are objectively racist as they are race conscious. There is no evidence that UA is doing anything but trying to recruit the best students and faculty. Period. In fact, UA has one of the highest enrollments of Black students in the nation for any state flagship. It also has one of the highest percentages of Black faculty. The reality is that We Are Done is just another example of the fruits of critical race theory, which are damaging the minds of so many bright young people of all races.
We are Done also demands that UA fund a separate alumni organization for Black alumni!!! Talk about racist. If any Black alumni wish to start such an organization, more power to em, but why should UA be responsible for funding it? Recently, the president of the National Alumni was a Black man. Hmmmm. Oh, and the last SGA president was a Black student, who would not have won without the White vote.
We Are Done also racializes the longstanding issue of The Machine. I was an independent at UA and fought against the Machine. The conflict between the Machine and its opponents has much more to do with class than race. If the Machine suddenly integrated, it wouldn’t make it any better at representing the needs of most students at UA.
We are Done doesn’t like that the Greek system is largely still segregated. However, UA administration made a concerted effort to integrate its Greek system several years ago, and has made great progress getting traditionally White Greek houses to admit students of color. Compare the level of integration in UA’s Greek system to most other state flagships, and it looks very good. And finally, I would argue that the segregation is largely self selection. UA has had a number of proud Black Greek houses for a long time, so that automatically reduces the level of integration.
We Are Done is particularly upset about the lack (at the time) of an Office of Diversity at UA. UA now has an official “Diversity” officer, so they have been appeased to some degree. There are many people who have made excellent cases that Offices of Diversity create self perpetuating perceptions of racism/sexism where none or little exist. Careers in Offices of Diversity depend on continued racial strife and perceptions of racism.
The reality is that most schools across the nation now have Offices of Diversity. They are each desperately trying to recruit the best Black faculty and students, and given the gap between Blacks and Whites in academic achievement, it is a tall order, especially when most of these desired students and faculty of color are also being recruited by the Ivy League and all other elite institutions.
So in summary, no, they weren’t protesting “racism;” they were simply making ill conceived demands that seem pretty racist to me.
Just to interject, hopefully gently, that race conscious≠racist.