Breaking News at our Black Colleges (Hampton and Morehouse)

Do-Rags, Sagging Pants Banned in New Morehouse Dress Code Morehouse College, the historically black all-male college in Atlanta, wants its students to adhere to a dress code. Morehouse President Dr. Robert M. Franklin, Jr. is implementing the code starting today as part of his "Five Wells: well read, well spoken, well-traveled, well dressed and well balanced." The "well dressed" portion of the creed includes things like not wearing do-rags outside of residence halls, no sunglasses in class, no jeans at major programs, no pajamas outside of the dorm, no dental grills, no women's garb and my personal favorite: no sagging. "Each student must promote and portray a positive image and properly represent themselves and the college," the notice says.                                                   The changes don't seem to be too radical. In fact, most of them seem like common sense. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of seeing young boys' dirty boxers and people walking down the street in pajamas. How lazy is that? I can't believe people are so busy that they can't throw on a pair of pants or shorts before leaving their homes. (Note: For the woman walking on St. Nicholas Avenue last Wednesday, those light blue pants with yellow birds were clearly pajamas.)Unfortunately, not everyone grows up with a parent like mine. I couldn't imagine trying to walk out of my house in my PJs. If my mother found out I tried to wear sunglasses in class I would have been punished. Part of Morehouse's mission should be to teach young men about how the decisions you make reflect on you. Wearing do-rags all the time and pajamas outside send the message that you don't care about your appearance. I'm all for freedom of expression. I don't expect all Morehouse students to walk around dressed like Farnsworth Bentley, but it's not too much to ask students to put on slacks and a collared shirt, and even a tie, for a few programs per year. According to a Facebook discussion on the topic, Morehouse students have not been taken seriously by visitors due to their appearance: "The feeling I'm getting from the younger alum, that I was unaware of, is that there are a significant number of students dressing like Miss Jay from 'America's Next Top Model' or Lil' Wayne all the time," wrote Robert A. Brown. Morehouse is not alone in its dress code mandate: A couple of years ago, Michael Sorrell, the president of HBCU Paul Quinn College in Dallas, also felt that students could not be taken seriously because of their attire and ordered a dress code. Sorrell's premise was "...if you're not used to dressing in business casual, how can you make the transition to life after school?" Students initially resisted, but according to FoxNews.com, "the kids we talked to on campus say they're on board -- they look and feel better." While I agree with Morehouse, I think the policy needs a little more clarification. As some pointed out on Facebook, designations of casual, modest casual and business casual need to be refined. Care should also be taken to protect the freedoms of those who might be discriminated against because their dress may be seen as not masculine enough. There's nothing wrong with teaching students, though, about how the decisions they make affect how people view them. Students must also learn that they can't do everything they want to do all the time. I like relaxing at home in my Sean John lounge wear, but that's the only place you'll ever catch me wearing it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hypocrisy reigns for critics of the first non-black Miss Hampton U By David A. Love   Hampton University senior Nikole Churchill was crowned Miss Hampton University on Friday. She was the first non-black to win the title. (Joi Louviere, October 9, 2009) The crowning of Nikole Churchill as the first non-black Miss Hampton University has caused a ruckus at the historically-black college and throughout the African-American community. Hampton alumni, bloggers, and callers into black radio talk shows are upset that Churchill, 22, was selected to fill a representative role for a traditionally black institution. As a student at Hampton, Churchill was certainly eligible to compete and ultimately win the award. Any objections to her crowning that are based on her skin color are nothing less than hypocritical. Churchill, who is from Hawaii, was selected to be Miss Hampton University from among 10 contestants. In addition to receiving a $1,500 scholarship, she will serve as the school's homecoming queen and will compete in the 2010 Miss Virginia pageant. Churchill's mother is of Italian ancestry, and her father is from Guam. In a letter to President Obama - a fellow Hawaiian - the nursing major said that many Hampton students do not accept her crowning, and have made negative comments about her. "It would be much easier to say that possibly some were not accepting of the news because I wasn't the most qualified contestant; however, the true reason for the disapproval was because of the color of my skin. I am not African-American," she told the president. "Despite the unfortunate beliefs that some are saying I should not have won, I am desperately trying to focus on those who believe in me and support me and my goal to represent this beautiful, multicultural campus the very best way that I can." Churchill later apologized to the Hampton University community for writing the letter. No apology was necessary; black folks should be able to relate to Ms. Churchill's situation. The black experience in America has been one of exclusion, of society questioning our abilities and qualifications. The troubling legacy of racial exclusion by white universities is why historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were founded in the first place. WATCH THE FULL REPORT BELOW When black students first integrated into the public schools and colleges, they were greeted with insults and death threats, and were ostracized until graduation day. Even today, people of color are still scrutinized. They are the object of suspicion at school and, in the workplace, their credentials and capabilities are questioned. America's first black president won a fair election, despite race-baiting from his political opponents. Yet an entire segment of the population believes he is unqualified, illegitimate and unfit to serve. Dr. Martin Luther King talked about the drum major instinct, which he described as "a need that some people have to feel superior. A need that some people have to feel that they are first, and to feel that their white skin ordained them to be first." Sadly, the oppressed internalize their own oppression from time to time. In the past, this resulted in "paper bag tests" for admission to exclusive African-American organizations, or the denial of so-called "lower-class" black people. Then there were the lighter-skinned blacks who were able to pass for white and occasionally abandoned their darker family members for a full-fledged life in mainstream society. Yet, the black community has always had a tradition of bringing in others and claiming them as their own. African-Americans, as longstanding victims of discrimination, are in a special position to show tolerance and inclusion. We can't afford to do any less. Anyone who gets upset over Churchill's victory has not learned the lessons of history. It is fitting that Churchill has invited President Obama to come to Hampton to speak about diversity. Hopefully he will accept the offer, and allow a constructive dialogue to take root