many have asked for days now how I felt about Miss Hampton Univesity of 2009-2010, and your answers is this.
yes, she’s white and she represents Hampton University….
I was amongst the very few people that attended the Miss Hampton Univeristy pagaent on friday, October 9th, 2009 and when they announced the winner to be Nikole Churchill, I didn’t scream. I didn’t cuss. Nor did I storm out, but stood there in complete shock but not disbelief. I knew in the back of my mind when seeing the contestants earlier in the week that this pagaent was going to make history, one way or the other.
While many are blaming her, I am blaming the judges and whoever is under this committee into picking Miss Hampton. Honestly, I feel that her presence in pagaentry was not in comparison to the other contestant that graces the stage with her. Yes, she is a student of Hampton University on the Virginia Beach Campus, but I have not seen her at all on this campus. No campus involvement, no community service, no organizations on this campus. I mean, she’s a senior like me, she could’ve at least attended a few senior socials or something. But the fact of the matter is, she is NOT the representation of Hampton University. Regardless if the title has nothing to do with representing just the next step to Miss Virginia, it is not fair to the other contestants that have been involved for numerous years with their school and have already engrossed themselves in its rich culture.
Now for the race part. You can’t hide it, no one can. And let’s not compare this to Obama, because Obama is black and he is in the opressed race, which is like myself. Nikole will never know how it feels to be black and writing a letter to President Obama about racial issue that she recieved from a black institution shows no relation. Yeah, I feel sorry for her. But what did she expect? Get over it. As a black woman I will always be overlooked when I’m going against a white women cause everyone plays the race card, and not to mention that I have nappy hair tops it off, HU will not approve LoL but anyways, HBCU’s are the only institutions that are privately funded and designed for African-Americans to seek an opportunity to feel comfortable in their own skin and to get an education that we deserve, equal and fair. By a white woman, taking the crown is pretty much a slap in our faces. I am not suprised that she won because leave it Hampton University to always want to “diversify’ and uphold an image that steers faaaaaaaar away from black. If you can’t go bright, then go WHITE. (comic relief: laugh, thanks.)
Black people can’t ever just have what was ours, our music, our culture, and now even our schools. Were still oppressed and Hampton University’s new “Diversity Political Move” doesn’t help either.
Reesa Speaks 
I agree. Hampton, IS and ALWAYS BE an HBCU, to say that it is in poor taste to object from a racial standpoint is stupid. The school was built on educating blacks who had no other options. Everything the school has become over the last 280.5 semesters is a result of the school seeking out it’s mission: educating African Americans in a way conducive to our unique culture.
To win Miss Hampton means that you are a key representative of Hampton University, and I strongly doubt that Nikole is the best candidate. What are the alumni going to think at Homecoming?
“Who is this white-girl?”
But besides that, I went to HU for three years, and never met her, saw her, heard of her… How can she represent a school where the overwhelming percentage of students don’t know who… In fact, no one really had a chance to meet her, she never came to the Main Campus… Furthermore, she wasn’t involved in anything on campus. What’s going on?
I’m pretty sure that she wasn’t genuinely interested in being Miss Hampton for any other reason than having it on her Miss America application. She doesn’t go to the school because she wants the life experience that Hampton sells to all of it’s student… She goes to HU-VB because it’s close to home…
Furthermore, she wasn’t ever on curfew, she never saw a panty raid, she hasn’t eaten in the cafe, and she would probably walk across Ogden unwittingly…
I have a problem with this…
HBCU = HISTORICALLY Black College/University
Saying a white person shouldn’t win at an HBCU is as bad as saying a BLACK person shouldn’t win at a historically WHITE institution. I’m not saying at all that she was qualified to win or deserved the win. But part of the problem we have in our society today is playing the victim TOO much. Are we victims of race based bias? Absolutely. That’s undeniable. But Feelings and speech like she can’t represent an HBCU is only perpetuating the issue.
I recently graduated from an HBCU. I was campaign manager for someone running for Miss Xavier. Her competitors too, were underqualified, and lacked community service, organization/campus involvement. I know that feeling. It’s frustrating to say the least.
I said all that to say I get it.
There have been times I’ve been frustrated because I didn’t have more Black teachers at my Black college. Still I have to remember attending an HBCU is a choice. And it’s not the only choice blacks have these days. We are not living in the 1920s, or in forced segregation.
Maybe the chick shouldn’t have won. Base that on her merits, not her race, because if the shoe was on the other foot (as it has been at PWI (Public White Inst.) black people would be having a fit. Racism is racism and two wrongs don’t make a right.
–My 2 Cents
KAMMs