Many of us are here for the scholarship competition, so we all know what scholarship applications are composed of. Hundreds of questions regarding our personalities, records, transcripts, family history, military or citizen status, and finally race and gender. Most of us probably don't give a second thought as we check the box for 'Caucasian', 'African American', 'Hispanic', or 'Asian', etc, but maybe we should.
It is often assumed that an African American applying for a scholarship most likely lived a hard life in the inner city, and that student doesn't have much if anything. But this is not always true, many Caucasian students have had harsh lives too, lived in the city, while some African Americans live in rural areas. On the other hand, it is commonly assumed that a Caucasian girl who does not hold a job must have parents rich enough to pay for her college tuition. This too, is a mistake, there are rich people who have dark skin and rich people who have light skin. In the same way, poverty is unbiased, some poor people are Caucasian, some are African American, some are Hispanic, some are Asian, etc.
You are all probably wondering where I am going with this- Well. this is my response to an event that happened at the University of Rhode Island.
"WASHINGTON — Among other rights, the First Amendment protects satire and parody as a form of free speech.
But the Student Senate at the University of Rhode Island appears to have lost its sense of humor when it comes to the campus group College Republicans.
Earlier this week, a Student Senate committee recommended revoking the College Republicans' recognition as a school-sanctioned group because the group refused to apologize for a satirical advertisement that offered a $100 scholarship to a white, heterosexual, American male.
The advertisement ran last November in the student newspaper, the Good 5 Cent Cigar. Forty students applied for the scholarship, but it was not awarded to anyone because it was not meant to be serious, said Ryan Bilodeau, chairman of the College Republicans.
"We intended that the scholarship was a satirical protest on the [University of Rhode Island's] many scholarships based on race and gender," said Bilodeau, a junior majoring in political science and philosophy. "We never distributed the money. They are punishing our expression."
[Article found at foxnews.com- here ]
My opinion? I agree, scholarships are discriminative. They discriminate against white students because it is a cliche assumption that white people are rich. And some discriminate against black people because of supremist views. Scholarships also discriminate gender and sexual preferences, and sadly all the scholarship discrimination does not balance out, and students are left with loans and frustration. I support this college republican group's decision to use satire to point this out, had they awarded the money to someone I would have not appreciated this use of 'freedom of speech.' But they didn't, instead they slapped society to effect a change.
Any thoughts?
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
all this talk of equality, and a colorblind culture is coming about 250 years to late.
can we really ignore a history of injustice, and suddenly start with a clean racial slate?
no....none of us created the social problems of racial hierarchy, but we must all sacrifice in an attempt to correct them.
this means living with corrective measures like race and gender based scholarships.
The current generations are not blame for the start of racism, but we keep it going, all of us, by bickering and supremist thinking. It is wrong, and because it exists, it is our job to cure the problem. And it extends beyond racism to gender discrimination and lifestyle, financial discrimination.
I don't believe scholarship discrimination is the answer to this problem, I think it will only serve to irrate more people of every race/gender.
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
I understand the College Republicans' want to address their opinion on the issue in a humourous way to get student attention, but I think they went about it the wrong way. When in an organization and doing PR stuff like advertising, you have to be aware of the offensity level of it. Yes, we all have a freedom of speech, but it is limited when what you say or do is hurtful to others. Respect is a huge thing, and this colleges CR needs better PR people (even if i dont agree with any of their political views :p)
Hug a musician, they never get to dance.
Yes, you are right, but unfortunately our 'first ammendment' does not come with a guarantee of responsibility or integrity. This CR group could have done things differently, and even though I am a republican I don't necessarily agree with their views either. However the point is that racism and gender biased scholarships are encouraging bitterness and differences in college students, not too mention making it even harder for students to learn, which is all we really want to do.
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
the bitterness comes more from a flawed education system that is overly dependent on grades, and from a personal lack of understanding about history's injustices.
race based scholarships are intended to ensure a racial diverse environment for education. Universities can not provide such an environment with quotas, so other means must be utilized. A racially diverse atmosphere is a better learning environment, not one that makes is more difficult to learn.
You are correct, a diverse learning environment is what we need, but the logistics show that they're are certain education facilities that are more apt to give an African American a scholarship and other institutions that have high percentages of awards for cacuasion. Simply put, the biased scholarships are not promoting integration, they are trying to resegregate us, at least in our mindsets. Racism is not always hate crimes, it can be and usually is, a subtle acceptance of 'the way things should be' even if societies assumption is wrong.
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
yeah, I agree. not the best way to make a point...i would like to see the ad though to see if they could have done something obvious so people would understand its nature.
The link of the article I pulled this blog from is posted above. The add wasn't posted there, but I'm sure if you look on the Universities website you could find it. If I run across it, I will post it here.
-S
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
I think that schoalrships based off of race, heritage, or gender should be banned. I refuse to apply for scholarships that are "for women only". I don't feel right giving into this hypocritical hype. I believe that scholarships should be based off of educational background, fields of study, etc etc. I'm a middle class white american who has no money for college simply because I haven't been knocked up and don't have an ex veteran as a father. I'm frankly sick of it.
I understand that there are mistakes of the past, but frankly that generation and period in history is done and over. It is time to move on. I'm beginning to think that people DON'T really want EQUALITY....they want COMPENSATION. Compensation for acts not even directly affecting them any longer. MLK said judge NOT by the color of your skin, but by the strength of your character.....so why do we have scholarships that judge by the color of your skin?
Racial discrimination is becoming a two way street nowadays. With the minorities on one side and white people on the other and many other little streets between each race in between. Being a white American I shouldn't have to be discriminated against simply because of the problems of segregation that African Americans were faced with in the past. The whole point of the civil rights movement was to get rid of discrimination all together not turn it on another race because theyve been the guilty ones in our history. I mean, Should someone who has an ex Nazi for a great grandfather not get a scholarship for being under Hitler's rule and being a part of the holocaust and bias against Jews?
Point being, your history only has to do with you up to a certain point. Racism against Blacks today is nothing in comparison to the racism and discrimination of the past. Most African American students don't even know what real discrimination feels like. No one REALLY does (I'm not claiming to know either). And even if theyve run into it (not getting a certain job because of some bigot etc etc) then its obviously not going anywhere. No scholarship is going to help that. I mean should you get scholarships for your sexual orientation as well then?? because homosexuals have just as much of a hard time being accepted in society as someone who is a person of color. Should we start doing that?? I mean honestly, if we're going to do this, let's DO IT. There's no where we can honestly draw the line. If you're going to have scholarships strictly for Latino females, then have one strictly for Black males and another strictly for Gay females followed by one for white males.
I don't expect getting help for school simply for being a woman, so why should anyone expect help to go to school simply for the color of their skin? Its just not right and is a direct hypocrisy of the equality the country is apparently trying to achieve. Our differences should not be emphasized in this way, whether it be for a positive or negative reason.
I agree, I am a white girl not 'knocked-up' and with no military family members, like you, so I am not eligible for many scholarships. And yet, some scholarships want to give me money because I am a girl.. It's stupid. Racism is two ways. It used to be that white people hated and discriminated against black people, but now white people are discriminated against. I'm fed up with it, skin color or gender need to be completely removed from selection processes in all areas of society. It is wrong.
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
For your information...
There are scholarships based on sexual orientation nowadays. Look up the KarMel scholarship for one, which gives out money to LGBTQA students.
Hug a musician, they never get to dance.
Did you read the comments or article? That is what we are saying, we don't want money based on what gender we are or what sexual preferences we have. We want scholarships based soley on education, and GPA's.
I don't want to be paid for being a girl or for being white, I want a scholarship because I worked my ass of for good grades.
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
Hold your horses! I wasnt saying it was right. I just wanted to point out that they do exist, because the comment i was replying to was satirically suggesting that there should be. Nowhere did I say that I approved of them or was in favor of affirmative action or genderbased scholarships. Dont make assumptions of people EVER, it will only get you into trouble.
Hug a musician, they never get to dance.
More often then not (as with the KarMel Scholarship) these scholarships do not require you to be gay or lesbian or questioning...trans-gender....any of those things.
You either have to had played a significant role in the LGBTQA rights movement, or identify with a certain party of race or religion yet again. (ie: NAMI requires you to be black and male).
These scholarships are very rare(and by rare i mean out of the ENTIRE National scholarship database....only 24.5-eliminating the seven requiring you to be male, female, member of the service, simply be a family member, or certain religion) , and if we plan on continuing with the charades of bias scholarships, then these need to be far more numerous.
Most often someone will argue that it is wrong to have a scholarship for someone based upon their sexual preference but are perfectly fine with their being a scholarship based on race or religion. I simply said what I said as bait for whomever that was going to be. A bit of devil's advocacy there :) my apologies.
I mean, Should someone who has an ex Nazi for a great grandfather not get a scholarship for being under Hitler's rule and being a part of the holocaust and bias against Jews?
I don't think any person should be denied scholarships for any one reason. However, I don't think that a synagogue should be required to open up their scholarship to non-Jews, since those non-Jews will do absolutely nothing for the synagogue in return. Just like I don't expect the girl scouts to start accepting boys into their folds, or visa versa.
Similarly, I don't expect the government to show favoritism to any one group, whether it be female, black, or gay, or some combination thereof.
~C
Visit my blog.
"However, I don't think that a synagogue should be required to open up their scholarship to non-Jews, since those non-Jews will do absolutely nothing for the synagogue in return. Just like I don't expect the girl scouts to start accepting boys into their folds, or visa versa."
Similarly, I don't expect the government to show favoritism to any one group, whether it be female, black, or gay, or some combination thereof."
Agreed. Which was kinda my point. As far as religions go, there usually is alternative group to turn to. Why would a Jew go to a synagogue when they can just as easily seek help from their temple? However, with groups such as the United Negro Fund of NAACP...where is the United Euro Fund or the NAAWP?? though it may sound cheezy to some, i think it's a legitimate argument.
"Similarly, I don't expect the government to show favoritism to any one group, whether it be female, black, or gay, or some combination thereof."
Agreed again.
My whole point with the Nazi thing is that it seems like todays white youth has to "make sacrifices" for the mistakes of our ancestors (the white communities of the past). If this is the case, then someone should also have to "make sacrifices" for having an ancestor who took part in the holocaust. But that idea of course would be absurd....so why is the previous idea accepted so?? There are Jews who are trying to get an education in this country just as there are minorities trying to do the same. Why is the discrimination against one held so highly above the other?? It's a hypocrisy.
Why would a Jew go to a synagogue when they can just as easily seek help from their temple?
You do realize that synagogue = temple = shul, right?
However, with groups such as the United Negro Fund of NAACP...where is the United Euro Fund or the NAAWP??
I think once again, you have missed my point. A synagogue is a private organization (except they get tax breaks, I think, for being religious... I think that's how it works, anyway). You cannot tell a private organization who they give their money to. The Desert Storm Veterans Association gives me money because my mom fought in Operation Desert Storm. Why should the government mandate that private organizations should remove their criteria for scholarships if they are based on family background, race, religion, or gender?
If you can find people to start a United Euro Fund or NAAWP, then they have every right to give out scholarships to white people, if they can find enough support to raise money.
My whole point with the Nazi thing is that it seems like todays white youth has to "make sacrifices" for the mistakes of our ancestors (the white communities of the past).
As I said before, if a Jewish organization (I apparently used a bad example, since I was informed synagogues don't give out scholarships, but I talk to a guy from a very limited background) doesn't want to give out a scholarship to someone who is not of Jewish descent, then they are in effect saying that they will not give it to someone whose ancestor was part of the Holocaust. That's just narrowing down the people that aren't eligible for the scholarship to one category.
If an organization run by black people only wants to give scholarships to black students, then there isn't much you can do about it.
Unfortunately, I have to get to class, so I'll have to take up this argument again later.
~C
Visit my blog.
"You do realize that synagogue = temple = shul, right"
yes and my point was why would a jew go to one for a muslim when they have their own?? muslim and jew arent the same thing.
"Why should the government mandate that private organizations should remove their criteria for scholarships if they are based on family background, race, religion, or gender?"
because it creates inequlaity and bias and unfair opportunity. If there is no alternative, they need to change their criteria. Especially if it is a direct hypocrisy of their actions. I can not get help from the NAACP or United Negro Fund because I am white. it states it right in their regulations....is that not racial discrimination??? the very thing that the NAACP and others were created to fight against??
I understand narrowing it down, however I don't see ruling out. For example, there are many private organizations that give out money in association with the LGBTQA movement. However it's stated in almost all of their scholarships that you need not to be identified as LGBTQA. You simple have to have been involved with the movement They state full out that they realize the hypocrisy in acceptance and equality if their scholarship is not avaiable to straight as well as gay.
Now you could say that they are being bias by saying you have to be a part of the movement, but as I said, there are alternatives.....there aremany movements you can be a part of.
I'm talking about scholarships that define you by something you can't help. You can help what religion you are, and government should be getting involved with religious groups to begin with, its not their place.
However you cant help or change what race or gender you are....its just not fair. A student can not work to get a scholarship if they cant work to change their situation to fit the criteria. (if a scholarship requires you to be a volunteer or play a major role in your community, the student can then pick up and begin volunteering....but someone can not change into a black person or change from male to female without a major operation of some kind).
I'm not one to accept that I can't do much about something......if we let that idea leak out we'd never get anything done for our country.
and btw, i wasn't aware we were arguing....:( i'm simply talking. I hope you don't think i'm trying to be a smart ass or argumentative.
yes and my point was why would a jew go to one for a muslim when they have their own?? muslim and jew arent the same thing.
I never said Muslims and Jews were the same thing and would be grossly offended if anyone thought that. A synagogue, or a shul, is a Jewish temple. A Mosque is an Islamic temple. The way your sentence was phrased indicates that you thought it was the other way around.
Especially if it is a direct hypocrisy of their actions. I can not get help from the NAACP or United Negro Fund because I am white. it states it right in their regulations....is that not racial discrimination??? the very thing that the NAACP and others were created to fight against??
The government cannot tell PRIVATE organizations what they should do. That's the point. Perhaps it's not right that they're encouraging social injustice when they were fighting for social justice (not necessarily against racial discrimination, though the two go hand in hand). But they're private organizations. Again, anyone who wants to can form a United Euro Fund or whatever, but few people would support it.
From what I understand you saying is that the NAACP should become more like the various organizations that give money to those involved in the GLBT fight. Well, how many white people can prove that? Not saying it shouldn't be done, just wondering how you can correlate the two.
I'm talking about scholarships that define you by something you can't help....However you cant help or change what race or gender you are....its just not fair.
But there are alternatives for those as well. There are scholarships for people of German descent and Italian descent and whatnot, just like there are scholarships for black students. There are scholarships for men just like there are scholarships for women. They just may be fewer in number because we, as a nation, have fought against favoring whites or men. That's the reason there's something like 20 female only schools, and only like 2 male only schools. Because women fought against the sex discrimination of all male schools, and got it.
and btw, i wasn't aware we were arguing....:( i'm simply talking. I hope you don't think i'm trying to be a smart ass or argumentative.
We're debating. Part of a debate is an argument. I didn't have time to elaborate more on my argument because I had to get to class. I wasn't talking about arguments in the way of people getting into altercations about a given subject.
~C
Visit my blog.
my apologies for my mix up of words on the synagogue vs mosque thing....i thought i said something i didn't....i dont know why i said that....maybe i shouldnt be on here at 2 am :p hehe
I correlate the two (funding for African Americans vs funding for those of the LGBTQ) simply because the civil rights movement (the birth era of organizations as the NAACP and U.N.F) and the gay rights movement I feel are very similar.
Those who fund the money for the GLBTQ movement are private as well.
im not really wanting to get into a race vs heritage/descent debate....the two are not the same....especially since someone can be both german and black.....thats a two-fer deal there. Plus with most scholarships based off of descent, you have to be a certain percentage....which with the expanding lines of generations between those who first immigrated here, and those of us who are here today, its very difficult to have enough of a percentage of anything in you still.....
you're a "mutt" now.
now take this into account when you speak of black as in "african american" even in the lines of heritage.....no one questions what percentage of African someone still is....if theyre black, theyre black....its not considered a heritage.
-"There are scholarships for men just like there are scholarships for women. They just may be fewer in number because we, as a nation, have fought against favoring whites or men. That's the reason there's something like 20 female only schools, and only like 2 male only schools. Because women fought against the sex discrimination of all male schools, and got it."-
there are scholarships open to men, but unless its surrounding catholicism or such an issue as a lack of males in school, its rare to find an "Only male" scholarship. The ability of one to compete in a acholarship doesn't counter act the fact that in a another scholarship they werent even allowed to compete. (in scholarship "a" being for women only, scholarship "b" being for male or female...the female had two chances to win even though the male only had one opportunity....why should one have to deal with more competition for college funding simply for being a white male??)
I just don't understand how one can fight sexual discrimination with sexual discrimination. They should have been working on dismemebering all male schools all together...not make an all female school....as the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right.
and as I said before, there are many ideas of the past and mistakes of the past even that I feel we need to move on from.
In terms of equality, you can not prove equality unless youre given equal opportunity for competition.
a woman should not have a female only scholarship because of the women's lib movement....she should go into a scholarship against a man and win.....thats equality. two people competing on an equal level with equal opportunity to win.
It's hypocrisy of these scholarships that gets me.....because they preach one thing/idea, but result in another...and no one takes notice.
Everyone should have equal opportunity in all cases....no matter what the situation. plain and simple. Its time like these, i DO feel the government should be able to step in. Especially since the school each student (getting money from that private organization) is going to is funded by the government (meaning as in research and government regulated taxes etc etc). Now if we had private organizations running private colleges, then i'd say okay....do what you want because the only source of money is going to be whatever you can get your hands on....no funding from the government, and no funding from the tax payers. Today in colleges only about 8% of the funding comes from private parties.
and as far as a lack of support for a NAAWP or United Euro Fund...i understand that there would be a lack of support for it....but my only question is why??? it seems wrong to me....why is a fund for low income colored people okay...but not a fund for low income white people??? i just dont get it. is it because to make such an organization would be correlated with the KKK/racism/areyanism??? ....i mean geez, i thought we were supposed to be ignoring the color of our skin and related biases. But i guess not.
The white people who are the "typical" high class white men descendents are not the ones looking for scholarships
....because they can afford it. Its those of us who dont fit this ignorant stereotype that need the help...but we lack receiving any because people continue to make their judgements and say that everything is handed to us and will come around soon enough because we're white.....
Well I hope so....cuz being white hasnt gotten me to a magical world of opportunity so far....maybe its still on its way.
"I wasn't talking about arguments in the way of people getting into altercations about a given subject."
good, just double checking.
This should be a lesson to all; don't say/ write things you don't mean because you don't know who is listening/ reading. While I see there reasoning that was the wrong way to approach the situation. We definitely need a diverse environment!
There is nothing wrong with diversity, as long as white people are considered part of that diversity. It is wrong that other people get paid for being a different color, when white people can't find any scholarships at all. What we do find we have to be homosexual or willing to take a political view point that we don't personally agree with.
Discrimination is a two-way road, it shouldn't exist, diversity shouldn't have strings attatched.
-S
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
Are we talking strictly about government scholarships or private ones too? I think we have to keep in mind that poverty, and disadvantage falls more heavily on minorities, especially blacks and hispanics. At least that's been my observation. Working together in civil society, VOLUNTARILY, to correct this inequality is a worthy aim. So I'm all for private scholarships to minorities, and I think they are necessary for correcting the disadvantaged position of these groups that comes in part from the racism of the past. As for taxpayer money, I completely agree with the post. Giving money to an individual because of their race is discriminatory, and shouldn't happen. We all have to pay for that aid, so its not right to give it back to people on the basis of race, gender sex orientation ect. I personally think that government scholarships should be phased out, since they keep driving up tuition costs. I wrote about it on my blog...
http://www.progressiveu.org/180733-your-mom-goes-to-college-why-should-everyone-and-their-mom-have-to-pay-for-it
I was referring to both types of scholarships, and I agree with you regarding government scholarships. However I disagree that 'disadvantage' falls more heavily on minorities. In the nineties, that was true, but now its not. Now, cacausions are being hit just as hard. Most rural families, farmers and small town people are cacausion, and that life is more impoverished than any subburb. And on the other side, people in cities face the same difficulties no matter what their race or gender.
We here more about the trials of minorities because we are desparate to correct our debt to African Americans. The truth is our generation doesn't owe the black race anything, because we never commited the act of slave holding. The truth is, trials and hardships are not contingent upon race or gender, they may be reported or recorded more because of the way we were born into the world, but that does not change the occurence factor.
Racism, and discrimination go both ways and it is causing an increasingly hard rift to bridge in our education system.
-S
visit this blog: http://www.progressiveu.org/175107-slavery-still-exists-be-an-abolitionist
hmmm...interesting. I don't know much about inequality and how it relates to race, although I know that the African American and hispanics are the primary recipients of Welfare benefits ("The Poverty of Welfare", Michal Tanner). Is this the direct result of discrimination? I don't know, although its clear that blacks didn't exactly get a running start on the race to economic well-being. This isn't to say that whites should be punished for slavery, or for racism. I agree that grades should be considered much more heavily than race or socioeconomic status in scholarship evaluation. But, remember that a kid coming up from a poor area is much less likely to have those good grades, due in part to the quality of schools there. Studies on academic achievement show a great disparity between test results for African American chilrend versus white children, and a general lack of high achievement among students in lower income areas. (The Poverty of Welfare/Market Education The Unkown History, Andrew Coulson). So while academic performance is indicative of talent and hard work, it may also reflect, to some extent, an individual's socioeconomic status. So I think there is still an inequality issue to deal with. The real problem is college costs, which make this stuff such an issue. Government's financial aid spending has increased enormously in recent years, and costs keep going up...it's almost as if these subsidies are causing cost inflation...hmmmmm Maybe we should start there.