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First African-American alumni remember journey to integration
Published: Monday, February 18th, 2008
When John Lee Howard ’47 received his diploma from the University, he also made history.
Howard, who majored in biology, was the first African-American student to receive an undergraduate degree from Princeton. When the University opened a V-12 training program for ...(back to the article)
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As an African American Princeton Alum, and a journalist, I must point out that this article severely overlooks the challenges and open hostility many African American’s faced during Princeton’s early years of integration. Not every African American alum faced racism on campus, but many did. The article mentions the sparse attempts of the University to “help the few black students on campus feel welcome” but makes no mention of all of the overt and discreet prejudiced acts that harassed the experiences of African American alumni. Don’t know of any – ask a few Black alums, I’m sure you won’t have a hard time finding those stories. Furthermore, this article celebrates the early African Americans that studied at Princeton and while we are thankful for the few who got those opportunities, it is important to question why Princeton was decades behind Harvard and Yale in accepting and grating undergraduate degrees to African Americans. During slavery, Princeton allowed a slave to study at the University for a time, while freedmen were earning degrees at Harvard and Yale. The writer mentions Goheen’s efforts to build an African American Studies Program without also mentioning that Princeton was well behind her peer institutions in recognizing African American studies as an integral part of America’s intellectual dialogue. Princeton is STILL the only top 50 school where students may not major in African American studies. It’s important to remember Princeton’s history in a balanced and accurate way that recognizes the diversity of experiences. It’s great to talk about the good, but let’s not forget about the truth.
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