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the Southside of Chicago, whose kids once attended Chicago Public Schools on the Southside, and who now lives two blocks from the Obama's Chicago home, I can comment on that.
I can see how Michelle could have felt like a stranger in a strange land. It is very possible on the Southside not to carry on a conversation with a white person for months on end.
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<p>If I'm not mistaken, Michelle Robinson grew up in a very typical lower middle/working class white neighborhood. She assuredly did not grow up in a poor or predominantly black neighborhood. She also attended Whitney Young High school, which is extremely diverse, having a large number of black, Asians, and white students.</p>
<p>After reading her thesis and then noting her disposition in interviews and the infamous "I've never been proud of my country" statement, maybe it wasn't racism that caused white students to pass her without acknowledgment. Maybe it's as simple as not liking her because she's not very likable.</p>
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Rev. Wright is considered a mainstream success on the Southside.
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<p>Not a hypocrite or anything. Preaches all day and night to poor blacks about ethnic solidarity and the ghetto. Then lives in a gated 99% white community, drives a Ferrari, and takes cruises in the Carribean.</p>
<p>Haha touche! Best thing ive read yet in days. I always knew there's something fishy about MO, and i seriously cringe every time some deluded journalist compared her to Jackie Kennedy (esp in the style department). Like come on! Give me a break.</p>
<p>dontno is appropriately named.
Michelle Obama did not grow up in a working class white neighborhood. Black all the way. I also am very familiar with Whitney Young, which my son attended. Yes, there are whites and Asians there. It was an hour and a half bus ride for her each way. Friendships out of class? Impossible. My kids did the same kind of commute.
Back to Princeton, there is an African-American investment firm, Ariel, here in Chicago, that is a virtual Princeton mafia. The founder, a man named Rogers, is a Princeton grad. Craig Robinson worked there. Melody Hobson is an Ariel Princeton grad who appears on ABC frequently giving financial advice. Rogers tried to push Arne Duncan to Princeton, but he chose Harvard. Just generally, in my experience (and I've got some), Princeton has a very positive image among African Americans in Chicago.
I will add that the African Americans I am talking about here are neither interracial nor immigrants, as most claimed "African Americans" in the Ivy League are. The real deal.
Somebody at Princeton did the ground work for this kind of reputation and deserves kudos.</p>
<p>Dislike:
1. The grading policy. When Princeton enacted its grade deflation policy a few year ago, Malkiel claimed that other Universities would follow suit. To date, none have. Princeton grads are the ones being screwed when they graduate with a 3.2 and there is someone else with a 3.5 competing for a job.
2. The fact that the administration has declared war on the eating clubs - a very old tradition that is unique to Princeton and is extremely important to many students and alums - and seems intent to replace them with four-year residential colleges. I think most students would agree with me on this, judging by the fact that bicker numbers were higher this year than they have been for many years.
3. The borough police. Nuff said.</p>
<p>Kind of a rant here, but...
sure they don't give out sports scholarships, but I just witnessed something today which was almost numbing.
A guy from my school found out he got into Princeton to be a football player. The guy will have taken 4 ap classes by graduation, is an A/B student, and just took SATII's 3 weeks ago... subjectively just not a bright guy who didn't seem to do much at all to deserve getting into princeton lol</p>
<p>...except be really good at football? Even though we are I-AA, athletics still counts for something here and each coach gets a "wishlist" to submit to West College.</p>
<p>That happened to me too, last year. He even came back this Christmas break and said, "Princeton is really hard. They're probably going to kick me out because they'll find me cheating some time."</p>
<p>I was like... Oh god. He does NOT deserve to be there. He totally takes his education for granted.</p>
<p>A girl from my school got in Northwestern special med program and Princeton. She chose Princeton and regretted. She felt that segregation was going on (she's a student of color) and she had trouble mixing in. She told me she regretted attending Princeton; she should have picked Northwestern.</p>
<p>lol Ray he's actually not amazing at football. no other place recruited him. my guess its just because he's an odd position, he's like left guard and just a big guy. he's not a terrible guy or anything, i just dont really feel that he did what it takes to get into a school like princeton lol. didn't even make it to FSU honors!</p>
<p>"A girl from my school got in Northwestern special med program and Princeton. She chose Princeton and regretted. She felt that segregation was going on (she's a student of color) and she had trouble mixing in. She told me she regretted attending Princeton; she should have picked Northwestern."</p>
<p>I would have chosen Northwestern too. The only pre-meds chilling and partying more than most others. Ahh I'm jealous.</p>
<p>I mean, as a GUARANTEED pre-med you should pick NU over Princeton for the security of your med school admission, but I hear from my pre-med friends at NU (the non-HPME variety) that they aren't really chilling and partying a lot either. </p>
<p>Also, @FB lalaland, generally, if a student who isn't white has trouble mixing in, it's because they aren't trying hard enough. I'm not white either and there's a substantial amount of de facto segregation on campus and it can be easy to fall into that kinda trap if you don't put a little effort into getting to know people who don't look like you because oftentimes people who look like you will just approach you and act like they've known you forever.</p>