Morehouse gets their first white valedictorian
Author: Staff | Date: May 21st 2008 | Filed: In the News
This weekend Joshua Packwood will officially be the first white valedictorian to graduate from the historically black, all male Morehouse College in the school’s 141-year history.
Joshua grew up in a poor area of Missouri, where he says he found himself gravitating to the black community at a young age.His mother’s second marriage to a black man ended in divorce which forced him to seek refuge with his best friend’s family – who were black and middle-class. It was the experience of living with his best friend’s family Joshua says, helped him see a “different side of black America.”
Joshua maintained a 4.0 grade point average during his four years in high school, was a Rhodes Scholar finalist and was offered a full scholarship to Columbia University. So why go against your families better judgement and turn down an Ivy League school to attend the all-black men’s university?
“I gained this interest in African-American studies and I thought that Morehouse would probably be the best experience,” says Packwood. “I think of it in terms of ’study abroad.’ If I really want to learn it, if I really want to understand it – maybe it’s best if I immerse myself in the culture.”
attending a black college came naturally to Packwood, who attended a predominantly black high school.
“A large majority of my friends, like all my girlfriends have been minorities,” says Packwood. “So it was very, it was kind of strange that I always kind of gravitated to the black community.” [ Continue Reading » ]
How do ya’ll feel about the situation? Should Morehouse allow a non-black Male to be Valedictorian?
SHOULD MOREHOUSE ALLOW A NON-BLACK MALE TO BE VALEDICTORIAN?
- Yes, of course! Race shouldn't matter... 92% (49 VOTES)
- No, definitely not... 8% (4 VOTES)
53 TOTAL VOTES!
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MissyD1215
May 21, 2008 at 3:25 PM
why shouldnt he be valedictorian? if he got good grades, he earned it.
:]
May 21, 2008 at 4:37 PM
I think they should. And he seems like he has a lot of respect for the black community. I didn’t even know they had black student. I’m dumb.
umm yeaaaahhhhh....
May 21, 2008 at 4:42 PM
i agree with #1. What do you mean should they allow a White man to be the valedictorian? It would be racist if they didn’t. He earned that.
Kennesha
May 21, 2008 at 5:16 PM
I don’t mind that he’s Valedictorian I mean if he has the grades then more power to him but, when reading the article he said some of his classmates and friends were upset about it so I was just curious about what ya’ll thought
Rexx
May 21, 2008 at 7:24 PM
What’s fair is fair… i mean if they have a problem with him being valedictorian then evidently they have a problem with him being there in the first place because he had just as good a shot of getting that title as any other student there, no matter what race. It wouldn’t be right at all for him not to be given what he rightfully earned.
MissyD1215
May 21, 2008 at 8:12 PM
if his so called friends were upset about it, then he needs to cut those people loose. they had every opportunity, if not more opportunity than him (being that its a historically all black school)
Dustin
May 21, 2008 at 10:29 PM
I don’t see the problem with a white guy being valedictorian of an HBCU like Morehouse. Race shouldn’t be an issue, and I feel sorry for the people who believe otherwise. Just imagine if the script was flipped. If a predominately white school NEVER had a black valedictorian (or any other race for that matter), you know people would have a fit…
bitch please
May 21, 2008 at 11:50 PM
ay i think he should be valedictorian ’cause he has good grades, he has alot of respect for the black community (i love them white ppl… well those who aint racist) and having a white valedictorian in a black school would change a bit things up. ie, at my school we’re like 9 black students outta 500-600 white student and there was never a black valedictorian, so if a black person at my school ends up being valedictorian it would be a huge honor ’cause for the first time a black student would make some kind of difference. So take my story and switch things up a bit and you’ll understand (hopefully loll)
Dee
May 22, 2008 at 12:57 AM
I think he earned his title, classmates and friends being mad. Now them being is on them, that’s hater-ism all up in them. Why they wasn’t picking up books like this man to earn his spot. That’s the problem with some blacks now they feel cause they black somebody owes them something. And I’m here to say one negro to another “Go get yours.” Be a go getter in all areas of life not just when it comes to money and materialistic things. His friends weren’t really his friends in the matter and they should be looking at that situation as a lesson in life. What could they have done in their academic career to become the Valedictorian? These niggas always gotta find something to complain about, when it’s not warranted at all. They had every opportunity and the same resources as him to do as he did. I’m just sayin. I completely agree that the experiences are completely different. My first year in college in a mostly white white college(5-8% black), sometimes I would slip and use slang the white ppl would look at me like I was E.T. Then they’d ask me what meant by that(when I didn’t catch myself first). I said “I’m finna” or “I’m finto” one of those and the white girl was like what does that mean. I had to laugh, and explain that I wasn’t making fun of her by laughing and explain what I meant. I think that more colleges should be a big melting pot, like America. What do you guys think?
drob
June 9, 2008 at 10:06 AM
I attended Morehouse in the early 80s and loved the the experience i had while there. Morehouse taught me so much about being a black man. I understood that you need to be the best you could be at all times no matter what the situation was. Now if this guys friends at the House want to complain, that could only be valid if their GPA was higher than his. They should have gave a better effort to do better than him. It really makes them look bad because they could not see what was going on before it happened. He new he had to be the best on he accomplished his goal and out did everyone in his class. TOO late to complain now.