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"The New Republic article about Miss Twilley's experience was very similar to the other ones I read. All of the authors gave a cursory mention to her impressive intelligence (a sentence or two about her graduating from the Alabama School of Math and Science) but chose to concentrate on things like her desire for her nail polish to match her dress, her affluence and her political affiliation. If they were trying to convince people how well she would have fit into an NPC organization, they should have interviewed her teachers, friends and minister. They should have concentrated more on her grades and extracurricular activities or any volunteer work she may do. THAT is what sorority sisters talk to rushees about, not how much their parents make or what car they drive." -- KillarneyRose
I agree that putting additional emphasis on grades, extracurricular activities or volunteer work would have helped the article's purpose tremendously, and I too wish they would have mentioned more about those things. However, I still believe that the references to Twilley's appearance and social status are being taken out of context. What the writer was trying to do was show that Twilley didn't fit any of the racial stereotypes attributed to Blacks, because those stereotypes are the rationale racists use when committing discriminatory acts. The statements about how Twilley carried herself and her social/financial status were there to disprove those stereotypes and show that she was not "beneath" the sorority sisters who met with her, as people who commit racist behavior often tend to believe about Blacks. Where the writer went wrong was when there wasn't additional emphasis on the things you mentioned earlier, because those things are more important in general. Just try and understand that when dealing with potential racism, particularly in a social institution, those things have to be addressed because Blacks are subject to such stereotypes, superficial as they may be.
The Greek world as a whole receives a bum rap with people perceiving it as superficial, and I think that's why some people get upset when "cars" and "nail polish" are mentioned. Some people think those things are being emphasized in the article because to them they stand out, but in reality Twilley's Cherokee and nail polish were a very small part of the article (mentioned only once I think). Please don't let it destract you from the point of the article.
Thanks for your comments KillarneyRose! You really helped me understand your perspective and brought up some good points!
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