While getting my Monday fix of non-essential but tres entertaining television, I tuned in to watch one of my new favorite reality shows; Harlem Heights, HH, on BET.
It’s a show about a group of 20 something friends living in Harlem, New York and trying to pursue their dreams. Now I will be the first to admit how critical I have been of past BET programs. I see the potential the network has and I’m quite saddened by the untapped potential, to say the least. None- the- less being the Hills and the City crack-fene that I am, I just had to tune in. Can you really blame me?
So like I was saying I’m watching episode four of the show between reading chapters of my sociology book. In this episode it’s been established that Christian and Ashlie have gone on several dates. Ashlie feels comfortable enough to ask Christian to double date with her good friend Alley and Alley’s boyfriend Lamar (aka Lamally). Christian isn’t the biggest fan of Lamar I’m not really sure what happened between the two of them but since he is really into Ashlie he agrees to the double date. During a particular scene the four of them are eating dinner and Lamar says to Christian something like, “Why did you go to Morehouse, and not a ‘regular’ college.”
A regular college Lamar? For real! I guess by regular college he meant a predominantly white institution or a school with a curriculum which completely shuts out any non-Anglo Saxon perspective. I tried to ignore the ignorant comment but my suppressed annoyance surfaced Thursday evening. It all started when Tatiana and I went to a local bar in Georgetown to watch the Duke v. Villanova game (it’s march madness, why not). We met some folks there and befriended friends of friends. We are all chatting, drinking, cheering having a jolly ol’ time and somehow when the clock struck 12 ignorance started spewing out of one particular guy’s mouth.
We were asked where we attended school. And once the cat was out the bag all hell broke loose and the attacks just kept on coming:
“You really think Howard is preparing you for the real world? What do you think your gonna do once you join the work force?”
(sigh) I quit, your right. There is no way an esteemed institution of higher education which is composed of primarily African American students, faculty, and staff can properly equip me with the necessary education and tools to be successful in my post collegiate career. My success in the work force is solely contingent on the amount of melanin in my professors skin and not dependent on the course work, internships, and research that I have done.
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