Editor,

I don’t know what all this nonsense is about. I have lots of white friends at this school. In fact, I’d have to say most of my friends are white. But I am sick and tired of hearing people complain about racial cliques and mentoring programs on campus.

When I first got to Pomona, I was very aware of how many black people I saw around me. When I moved into my dorm, the first thing I noticed was that there were only two other black people in my dorm. One of them is now one of my closest friends. Part of the reason we started hanging out is probably because we were the only black people in Lyon. That isn’t why we’re still hanging out today, though.

I notice how many black people are in my classes. I notice how many black people are at a party. I always am aware of these things. You try growing up in a small town in Mississippi and being the first black person ever to go to a private school built and opened in 1969 for the purpose of keeping blacks out. Does "white flight" mean anything to you? See if you notice how many black people are around. When it’s a matter of survival, you notice these things. When it’s a matter of personal comfort, you notice these things. If I’m the only black person in a room full of white people, everyone’s going to look at me if someone suddenly yells "nigger!" or makes some ignorant comment about black people. If I’m the only black person in my class, everyone’s going to expect me to represent the black perspective on whatever subject we discuss. Hell, I have been there and done that, and I am not trying to do it some more.

I don’t know what a white person first notices when they move to a new place or go out somewhere. I doubt they count up how many white people they see around them because it would take too long. It usually doesn’t take me long, and the numbers are often small enough that I can count in my head. Anytime I can’t, I get excited. Anytime I can’t, I don’t need to count.

I don’t expect everybody to understand why mentoring programs are a good idea at Pomona. And I know plenty of reasonable explanations have already been given, so I’m not going to try to explain. Anyone who hasn’t figured it out yet isn’t going to. Anyone who hasn’t figured it out hasn’t been trying and doesn’t want to try. If you can’t understand something as simple as the need for mentoring programs, you probably can’t understand the institutionalized racism that flourishes in American society. My problem with people who don’t understand the little things is that they don’t understand the larger issues, either. If you think racism is a thing of the past, we can’t be friends. And I’m not sorry, either. I haven’t lost anything, except the opportunity to relive the past twenty years of my life in a useless attempt to educate people who are ignorant and prefer to be that way.

Now, to the white people who are having problems with these groups, you should realize that all your whining and complaining isn’t going to change anything, and nobody is about to disband the mentoring programs because large groups of black people make you uncomfortable/you feel left out/white folks don’t have a mentoring program, etc. American culture and society is your personal support group. White folks get so much support, they don’t even recognize it anymore. If you don’t like the programs, fine. I personally don’t give a damn. You should shut up about it, though. If you want to go and participate in a function given by AAMP or OBSA, then go. If you don’t want to go, I bet nobody will miss you. I know I won’t.

Sincerely,

Lydia Lucas ’04