Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Come on, man.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

I really should read my own blog.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

In my day, never was longer.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Excellent Links / Long Read: “Michelle Obama, Race and the Ivy League”

Long Read: “Michelle Obama, Race and the Ivy League”

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Okay, it’s Politico, but it’s still an excellent read — and, I suspect, it’s going to be widely discussed. Peter Slevin, in an excerpt from his upcoming book, on “the education of a future First Lady“:

In 1988, a group of black students at Harvard Law School compiled a report designed to recognize the growing achievements of black students on campus and share their wisdom with newcomers. The longest essay in the 50-page newsletter was written by a 24-year-old third-year student named Michelle Robinson, who devoted more than 3,000 words to an appeal for greater faculty diversity. “The faculty’s decisions to distrust and ignore non-traditional qualities in choosing and tenuring law professors,” she wrote, “merely reinforce racist and sexist stereotypes.”

Harvard Law was a lofty perch, as privileged as it was competitive. It was no accident that the future Michelle Obama pressed ahead with her application after being waitlisted, or that she set out to make a difference. Raised in a working class Chicago family and educated at Princeton, she had lived the roiling discussions about inequality that were taking place at Harvard and around the country. At the law school by that year, “all the talk and the debates were shifting to race,” said Elena Kagan, a recent graduate and future Supreme Court justice.

During her three years on campus, Michelle represented indigent clients, worked on a law journal focused on African-American perspectives and sought to inspire a greater sense of purpose in her fellow students. Her friends were not surprised. “Michelle always, everything she wrote, the things that she was involved in, the things that she thought about, were in effect reflections on race and gender,” said Charles Ogletree, a Harvard professor and mentor to Michelle. “And how she had to keep the doors open for women and men going forward.”…

… Michelle contributed an essay headlined “Minority and Women Law Professors: A Comparison of Teaching Styles.” She argued that women and people of color connected with students in fresh and valuable ways…

When given the chance, she maintained, minority and women faculty were able to innovate and deliver new perspectives. “Now, unlike before, students are being made to see how issues of class, race and sex are relevant to questions of law. Not only do students find that these issues are relevant, they are finding them interesting,” Michelle wrote. She called for new approaches to the recruitment and assessment of law school faculty, emphasizing hands-on teaching and the human side of education, rather than intellectual heft for its own sake. Let others count angels on the head of a pin; she cared about outcomes, a trait that would long define her.

Michelle’s interests and, indeed, her orientation to the world, were close to the ground—and they would stay that way, all the way to the White House. An emerging professional skeptic, she wanted to know how the law connected to real lives, not least to African-American ones. Describing her approach, David Wilkins, who taught her in class, said she listened to others, but spoke up, “strong on what her opinions were. She was always the person who was asking the question, ‘What does this have to do with providing real access and real justice for real people? Is this fair? Is this right?’ She was always very clear on those questions.”…

Reader Interactions

62Comments

  2. 2.

    shortstop

    @John M. Burt: It’s all going to be the same in the GOP read of all this. “See, even in law school she was unhealthily obsessed with and angry about race!” To people who can’t even see the nail, everything is an unnecessary hammer.

  3. 3.

    Chyron HR

    Is she named Michelle ROBINSON or Michelle OBAMA? Sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me.

  5. 5.

    mai naem mobile

    @Chyron HR: she was pretending to be Jackie Robinsons daughter!!! And then when she was found out, she got mad and married an Alinskyite Musleemy Socialist Fascist Kenyan Man!!!

  10. 10.

    trollhattan

    O/T don’t believe I’ve ever seen a more distinctive example of German intransigence.

    Lufthansa chief sees ‘no need’ to change cockpit policy

    Airlines including Norwegian Air Shuttle, Britain’s easyJet, Air Canada, Air New Zealand and Air Berlin all said they had introduced a requirement that two crew members must be in the cockpit at all times. Regulations in the US already require that no pilot must ever be left alone at the controls and Canada has now followed suit.

    Mr Spohr from Lufthansa said he believed such a policy change was unnecessary.

    “I don’t see any need to change our procedures here,” he said.

    “It was a one-off case. But we will look at it with the various experts at Lufthansa and the authorities. We shouldn’t lose ourselves in short-term measures.”

    Now that it has occurred it will obviously never occur again so therefore we must not do the obvious correction for something that will not be again done. Got it.

  11. 11.

    Woodrowfan

    As you might expect, the righties on Politico commenting are full of racism and lies. One calls Ms. Obama a “wookie” and that’s far from the worst one…

  12. 12.

    Davis X. Machina

    That tears it. There’s zero chance now of Obama’s being re-elected.
    Might as well start speculating on who the Dems will nominate in his place after this shitstorm.

    I’m guessing a big-state senator, or a marquee cabinet secretary.

  13. 13.

    beth

    @Woodrowfan: However I did learn that Mrs. Obama and I are both men in disguise since our ring fingers are longer than our index fingers. I thought I’d heard all the crazy things they say about her; that’s a new one for me.

  15. 15.

    J R in WV

    One of the most beautiful and intelligent people to ever live in the WHite House, ever. Strong, smart, probably witty (although I imagine she has to stifle that as First Lady, as dry humor jacking up Republicans would not be amusing to the rightwingnuts) and forward thinking, she would be a great senator, Supreme Couort Justice, or President.

    If she were interested. After the way the rightwingnuts have treated her, who can blame her for not wanting to go there again. But maybe someone can convince her that that very mistreatment is why she should take on a new role in attacking the rightwing!

    Power to the smart woman!!

  17. 17.

    peach flavored shampoo

    @trollhattan: I’m sure after they see the change in their bookings, online ratings, and revenue, they’ll decide to change.

    Walkback of stupidity and institution of near-universal “2-in the cockpit” rule in 3….2…..1….

  18. 18.

    Tree With Water

    I’ve never been one to pay much attention to presidential spouses. I really don’t know much about this first lady, and I’m not much interested. But after reading that, I now think it’s a miracle Michelle still has a tongue left with which to speak and swallow. How many times do you guess she’s been forced to bite it during her years as the wife of Barack? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Hers will be a memoir I look forward to reading.

  20. 20.

    shortstop

    @trollhattan: I’m wondering if he said that more recently than yesterday morning. He did say this at the press conference yesterday a.m., and I figured that by last evening, he’d change his tune. Customers are not going to be loving his attitude.

  21. 21.

    Pogonip

    @Cacti: That’s an interesting idea. I wonder what the qualifications are for such a position? I would think one would be experience as a lower type of judge, but I could be wrong. I am speaking of the on-paper qualifications. She certainly meets, in a big way, the real qualification, Having The Backing Of Important People.

  22. 22.

    Sly

    @Woodrowfan: The sage prohibition against ever reading the comments goes double for Politico. Quadruple for Politico after it has been linked to by Drudge.

  24. 24.

    Face

    Coming soon to Missouri — Betcha didn’t know that FREEDOM means the state gov’t telling you precisely what you cannot buy on EBT cards.

    No tuna, no steak. Apparently, no protein. No cookies or energy drinks. Apparently, no treats. No chips…what about pretzels?

    Rice and raman only, bitchez. GOP asshole-ishness knows no bounds.

  30. 30.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @trollhattan:

    This is the first time it’s happened to Lufthansa. Someone had a link yesterday showing that it’s happened a couple of times before on smaller airlines (ie one pilot locks the other out and proceeds to crash the plane). So, yeah, at this point it’s looking like a reasonable precaution.

  32. 32.

    charluckles

    @J R in WV:

    This, absolutely. What really finally pulled the scales from my eyes about how much race really had to do with peoples negative opinions about President Obama was the treatment of Michelle Obama. Easily one of the most intelligent, beautiful and graceful women ever to reside in the white house and people were treating her like dirt.

  33. 33.

    Germy Shoemangler

    WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is backing New York Sen. Chuck Schumer to succeed him as Democratic leader.

    Reid issued his endorsement Friday morning, shortly after announcing he would be retiring next year instead of running for re-election.

    Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson says that the choice is up to Senate Democrats, “but Sen. Reid thinks Sen. Schumer has earned it.”

  35. 35.

    Iowa Old Lady

    @gocart mozart: Comments like that make me wonder what it must be like to live inside these people’s heads. Are they nasty about everything or just the black first family? Does their rancor affect their health?

  37. 37.

    Tommy

    @J R in WV: Agreed. I don’t always agree with their policies, but I think they are lovely people. What gets me is when she tries to do anything the right flips out. I mean who would think growing a garden at the White House would be a problem. Heck just suggesting and trying to change the regulations at schools so our kids eat better. How the flipping hell can anybody be against that?

    I am a huge fan of Jamie Oliver. When he did a few TV shows in the UK highlighting how terrible the food was in schools, and they could eat BETTER food for LESS money the Queen got on board and they just changed things. Now I am not in the UK nor an expert on the country, but I followed what happened pretty closely and pretty much nobody had a problem with trying to get their kids to eat better.

  38. 38.

    Tommy

    @Iowa Old Lady: I know more than a few people that would leave hateful comments (I won’t even go look at them). My brother married into their family — so now they are my family. I can’t ever wrap my mind around their thinking. They are middle to upper middle class. Loving families. College degrees. No divorces. Nice houses they own. Good jobs. Multiple cars. I can never figure out what they are angry about. But they are flat out mad/angry all the time.

    Personally I don’t have the energy to be outraged all the time. And as you said, even if I did, I wouldn’t be for my health. It can’t be good for it.

  40. 40.

    Germy Shoemangler

    @Tommy: And on this side of the pond I see again and again my local tv news reporting that our kids are throwing away their healthy lunches. And I read online comments complaining about meddling liberals trying to tell everyone how to eat.

  41. 41.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Pogonip:

    I would think one would be experience as a lower type of judge, but I could be wrong.

    Previous judicial experience is not a requirement for a federal judicial appointment. In the federal district where I live and practice, only 9 of the 15 judges had judicial experience prior to their appointment.

  45. 45.

    Tommy

    @Germy Shoemangler: Oh I know. Jamie tried to take that concept he did in England to the US. TV show was called Food Revolution. First year was in WV then the second season in LA. The show got shit-canned because in LA, it appeared the School Board was so embarrassed by what he found, they wouldn’t even let him into the schools.

    Look if you want to send your kids to school with a lunch of chips, soda, and candy go for it. I just don’t think a public school, which I pay for (I don’t have kids BTW), should serve, as Jamie found in WV, they were serving lower income kids pizza for breakfast.

    Sorry, call me whatever you want Republicans, but that just ain’t right on so many levels. How hard is it to give them some pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon (I am not a food Nazi — BACON), toast, and some orange juice?

  49. 49.

    Tommy

    @WaterGirl: My grammar isn’t always the best, which I am not proud of. I guess this little app I installed for Chrome, Grammarly, might be helping. Or maybe not :).

  50. 50.

    Beatrice

    @schrodinger’s cat: Thank you, what an interesting post! I have read several novels set in India, including “A Suitable Boy” (yes, all 1500 pages!) and somehow never understood that Hindi and Urdu are essentially the same language. I love learning new things.

  52. 52.

    Pogonip

    @Davis X. Machina: Ha! Can’t believe they came right out and put it on paper. This makes Judge Pogonip a theoretical possibility if I can make myself popular enough with the 1%z

  53. 53.

    Mike J

    @Tommy:

    Now I am not in the UK nor an expert on the country, but I followed what happened pretty closely and pretty much nobody had a problem with trying to get their kids to eat better.

    They had the same spate of kids complaining on twitter about how they liked it better when they could eat chips every day. If you believe the tabloids Jamie Oliver is the most hated man in England among schoolkids.

  55. 55.

    Tommy

    @WaterGirl: Oh if you have a few minutes search Food Revolution and Jamie Oliver on YouTube. The clips from WV are heartbreaking but also uplifting. At first he was basically shunned. Told to go pound dirt. How darn a Brit come to their town and tell them how their kids should eat. Right wing local radio savaged him.

    Then he got a call from a Minister who said he wanted to help. He sat Jamie down and started going through their membership directory. Noting this person, that person, they are too obese to attend church. Then he said this one died, this one also died, this one lost sight to Diabetes. It went on and on.

    The community seemed to get behind him with the support of a local Minister. I don’t know if the changes he put in place “stuck” but I sure hope they did!

  56. 56.

    Beatrice

    @Tommy: I really enjoyed that show. As I recall, the key was when he won over the curmudgeonly and all-powerful lunch ladies. I, too, wonder if the changes stuck.

  57. 57.

    Tommy

    @Mike J: I did not know that, and there is much I do not know. But being the most hated person among kids might be a badge of honor IMHO. Look I don’t have kids, but spend a ton of time with my 6-year old niece. She is a strange and/or picky eater. She’d just only eat bread if she could.

    My brother and his wife use a stick and a carrot. If she wants the bread, she has to eat veggies and protein first. I got no issue with pizza, a Big Mac, junk food.

    But two things. (1) Eat some healthy food first and (2) Everything in moderation.

  58. 58.

    Tommy

    @Beatrice: He did win them over in the end didn’t he! What got me and wasn’t talked about much on the show, was how stellar their kitchen was. I would think most small to even large restaurants would kill for the equipment they had. They had a kitchen and equipment to die for.

    They were using it to nuke food or make “fake” mass potatoes. What a waste.

    I also loved the segment where he went to the warehouse of the company that had the contract to provide food to the school district. He seemed to think it would all be frozen, processed food. It was the exact opposite. Sure they had shitty food but just as much healthy/fresh food, the school just wasn’t buying it.

  59. 59.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @charluckles:

    Exactly. You can argue that people were saying the things they did about Barack Obama because of political disagreements, but what was the excuse for attacking Mrs. Obama’s hair, fashion sense, arms, and causes?

    Though I do think the school lunches thing is another manifestation of the right wing’s I OWN my children! obsession. They really do think they should be allowed to treat their children any way they please and no one should be allowed to interfere. The most extreme ones sometimes argue that the Bible says they can kill their children if they disrespect them, so that should be allowed, too. It’s a scary place on that side …

  60. 60.

    Tommy

    @Mnemosyne (iPhone):

    You can argue that people were saying the things they did about Barack Obama because of political disagreements, but what was the excuse for attacking Mrs. Obama’s hair, fashion sense, arms, and causes?

    I can not imagine what it is like for her. Let’s say my father was POTUS.

    I joked when I started to go bald I wasn’t doing the “combover.” So I started to shave my head. Sure the right would find some way to attack me because of this.

    I wear clothes that make me feel good about myself. Sexy even. Would the Republicans want to do a 1,500-word article on my choice of boxers vs. briefs? Of course they would.

    Heck I have started some workouts where my muscle mass is increasing. So maybe I’ve bought some clothes that highlight that. My arms. They would savage me over this.

    Look if my choice to cloths is all you got to talk about. If I show arms. How much I weigh. My hair. Well you got ISSUES! A lot of issues.

  61. 61.

    Turgidson

    @J R in WV:

    I certainly agree that Michelle would be good at pretty much anything she puts her mind to and if she ran for political office I’d donate.

    But I’ve always gotten the feeling from her that she’d rather bathe in sulfuric acid than volunteer to be put through the miserable bullshit they’ve been dealing with as First Family for a second longer than is necessary for Barack to finish out his term safely and in good health.

    And I don’t blame her for that, at all. I’ve said many times that if I was Barack Obama, I’d have quit the presidency in exasperation at everything – the GOP, the insulting, useless Beltway media, hell, Bibi Netanyahu, all of it – long ago, and my farewell press conference would have been a neverending string of f-bombs with both middle fingers raised while I tell clowns like Ed Henry and Ron “severe dementia” Fournier that they’re the stupidest fucking people on the planet.

    I get that politics is a rough and tumble business, but the Obamas have had to deal with bullshit and hate on a level that seems quite unprecedented to me.

  62. 62.

    KS in MA

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    Ugh, that was one of the worst articles I’ve seen in the NYT in decades. (Sorry, just a few hours late to the party here….) You’ve reminded me to send them an email, since, last I looked, they didn’t open that one to comments. Smart move–though it would have been smarter to spike the brainless article in the first place.

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