'Nother Race Post...

Alright. So, I said that I would talk about the AA thingy. But before I did – I decided to browse some of these forums and see what they had to say…

Well, they said a WHOLE lot. So, instead of reviving a dead horse – I will say this: You know what one of my biggest pet peeves is???? (Don’t even know if that’s grammatically correct)

People who assume that skin color equals cultural equivalency!!! It’s one of the most irritating things I hear. Especially, the whole “can’t YOU ALL just get along.

Let me start by saying – all Asians are NOT Chinese, all Latinos are NOT Mexican, all blacks are NOT African-American, and all whites are NOT wealthy and spoiled! LOL – though they are in the majority

This applies to all of us. We each have stupid stereotypes about each other based on tradition, personal experience, etc….Frankly, I don’t care. Just don’t assume. Period.

Everyone is different and comes from different backgrounds. You don’t know me. You may think you have insight because of some facts I share – but unless you are an intimate friend or family member please do not have the unmitigated gall to [ASS]UME anything.

And hey, guess what? Life is unfair. Affirmative Action is a bandaid trying to hold a larger infection at bay. And, it’s not based solely on race either. I’ve heard Adcomms say that the greatest beneficiary of it has been white women. Could be right or wrong. I don’t know.

You know what? I was totally obsessing about placement and prestige, etc…but when it comes down to it – wherever I end up will be where I’m supposed to be. Like I said before, I have few to none serious regrets. Each experience is a learning experience that helps me grow into a better person.

You know what I loved most about my graduate program? That out of a small class of 40 students, we had different cultures, languages and experiences. The great part? We TALKED about them in detail. Laughed. Joked. And realized that we are now ADULTS who don’t need to accept previous generations’ viewpoints. When it comes down to it, it’s all ignorance anyway.

I had one grandmother warn me about those “deceitful Indians” while the other’s Mom was straight from Delhi. Grew up hearing that I should never, ever, ever, ever date a Jamaican, Haitian, or any man from the continent of Africa. Why? Cultural differences and negative encounters. But, perspectives and past experiences aren’t always indicative of truth.

So, what am I trying to say ultimately? We all have biases and prejudices rooted in a variety of things – be aware of them and don’t let them shape your choices.

Whew. Okay – done preaching.

Oh - and for the record - I have now been accepted to American University in DC - forget Miami...lol..!

AA – Perspectives from a Slightly Uncomfortable URM

If you don’t know URM stands for Underrepresented Minority in the law admissions/school realm. Frankly, I had no idea – but being one have been bombarded with the term since I started this getting into law school process.

Here’s my dilemma – my LSAT (Law School Admission Test) score and undergrad GPA are not extremely high. I only scored in the xth percentile for the test, and my LSDAS GPA was a x.x. My only saving factor for my GPA was the fact that I graduated magna cum laude from my alma mater (is that how you spell it?) – BUT the LSDAS GPA also factors in my freshman year!!!

Well, for the record – freshman year was more than abysmal – I went from a 2.3 to 3.3 – which became a 2.7 average. Yeah – not at all pretty. Anywho, compared to the majority of applicants – mainstream white male – my scores are average. However, the majority of black applicants allegedly only score in the 20th percentile!

Actually, my score was in the top 5% of all scores for applicants in my ugrad – which clearly works in my favor.

Okay, numbers aside – Law schools typically admit URM student with lower scores to increase their diversity. It’s been a huge controversy – U of Michigan just lost the ability to do so on constitutional grounds, but private institutions still have the ability to make their own decisions. Since the majority of top schools are private affirmative action is still alive and well.

So, I’ve said all of that to say – I don’t know how I feel about the issue. On one hand, I recognize that all it does is get a student, who may not have “legacy” privileges or other connections into a school – the rest is up to them. On the other hand, should I really just get a hand up just because of my skin color?

Obviously, there are a lot more factors that go into it – but, what do you think?

Updates

Hey everyone, I’m gonna stop apologizing for not writing regularly – this whole law school process is extremely looong – and I’ve been obsessing about it….Plus, I just got dumped with a whole lot more responsibility lately….

But – good news – I got my first acceptance to University of Miami Law School!!!! YAY!! If all else fails – I’m definitely going to be in school in an absolutely great place :O)

Oh, click here to read my first ever article published on Baggage Reclaim - http://www.baggagereclaim.com/. I actually submitted it in October, but apparently it went to the Editor’s spam mailbox – lol! Anyway, it’s called “Sexy, Savvy, and Satisfied” – I know, I know….it just popped out k?

Alright – so something that is currently bugging me:

I have a friend who will remain nameless, who on a total whim decided to buy a ticket and stay in a hotel with a guy she met at the airport the previous week. When she told at first I was incredulous – then scared and upset.

Little backstory – Met him at the airport – seemed attractive and nice – met him for lunch – found out he was twice her age – laughed at it with us (her friends) and said it was too much for her. K, so I just assume the story is over. However, get a call this morning and hear that she’s in his hotel room and has been there since last night. But, she’s not attracted to the guy, and his bed is a so big it’s like they’re sleeping separately.

I’m not gonna throw stones, cuz God knows I’ve made some incredibly bad and yes, even stupid, decisions. Thing is – the first night went well – nothing happened. Great. Still, this dude obviously likes her, or he wouldn’t of asked her out in the first place….

And – she’s staying ONE more night!!! Granted she feels as though he’s trustworthy, but she doesn’t know him from Adam. I’m here freaking out, and she feels as though I’m exaggerating – so, I just paid to do a background check on him….

What do you think? Am I making too much of a big deal of this?