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Crowning of First Non-Black Miss Hampton U Stirs Controversy

More news stories on Race and Universities

Antonio Hawthorne, EMQ Networks Wire, October 13, 2009

Hampton University crowned its first non-African American Miss Hampton University (HU), on Friday, leading to controversy throughout the Hampton University and larger HBCU community.

Nikole Churchill, 22, senior nursing major, competed against nine other women in the annual pageant. Churchill, prompted by the controversy of comments about her skin color, wrote a letter to President Obama, encouraging him to speak at the university about the importance of racial tolerance.

There has even been negative reaction on the letter criticizing her for displaying the school in a negative light as the newly crowned Miss HU.

Student, alumni, and faculty reaction has been mixed. Some have said her win represents the diversity at Hampton, while others have complained that she is not black and have not seen her visibly on the main campus because she attends the satellite campus in Virginia Beach, which has 100 students compared to main campus of 5,700.

As the announcement was made, a number of people in the audience got up and left as news quickly spread on Facebook and Twitter.

{snip}

EMQ has decided to publish the letter below. {snip}

Subject: Hampton University
To: President Barack Obama
October 11, 2009

Aloha Mr. Obama!

My name is Nikole Churchill, a senior nursing major at Hampton University. This past Friday October 9, 2009, I was honored to be crowned Miss Hampton University 2009-2010. It truly was the best night of my life! With that being said, I am sad to say…… that my crowning was not widely accepted and many negative comments regarding my win have been shared throughout my campus.

It would be much easier to say that possibly some were not accepting of the news because I wasn’t the most qualified contestant; however, the true reason for the disapproval was because of the color of my skin. I am not African-American. Despite the unfortunate beliefs that some are saying I should not have won, I am desperately trying to focus on those who believe in me and support me and my goal to represent this beautiful, multicultural campus the very best way that I can. I would love your help!

I am hoping that perhaps you would be able to make an appearance to my campus, Hampton University, so that my fellow Hamptonians can stop focusing so much on the color of my skin and doubting my abilities to represent, but rather be proud of the changes our nation is making towards accepting diversity. People are even nicknaming me, “lil Obama” because of various reasons. This is truly an honor as well!

I am also from Hawaii (Wahiawa) and I am hoping that you can assist me in opening some closed minds and help share some aloha spirit throughout my campus. I feel as though you could relate to my situation, which is why I immediately wanted to contact you. I was interviewed last night at the HU vs. HU football game by news channel 13 and I mentioned how individuals such as you and myself are making changes in hopes people can stop placing so much focus on our skin color by letting that define what we can, cannot, should, and/or should not do. Dr. Harvey welcomed me last night to the family with open arms and I was beyond honored when he told me that he is behind me 100%. I am proud to represent Hampton University and I am so proud having you to represent our home, our country. Your support with my crowning as Miss Hampton University 2009-2010 would be graciously appreciated. Please reply, I will be looking forward to it!

Nikole Churchill
Virginia Beach , VA

misshamptonu
Center: Nikole Churchill, Miss Hampton University, 2009.

Original article

(Posted on October 13, 2009)

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Comments

1 — gg wrote at 6:07 PM on October 13:

Look at the sour faces on the girls to the right. Do you think they believe that diversity is our strength?

2 — Anonymous wrote at 6:20 PM on October 13:

Where do they come up with these people, to prove ‘bigotry’ is still alive? Loudly at that. I can only imagine the torturous logic going through the black liberal mind: make bigoted comments showing everyone that bigotry is still alive, and then everyone will realize we should all be more sensitive to black folks. Since blacks folks are for the most part the only ones really considered people, perhaps this logic makes sense. Then again, since they have very little mind, the ‘bigotry’ put on display here by the young students is likely real.

3 — Ellen wrote at 6:23 PM on October 13:

The winner is very cute. The two girls on her left don’t look too happy! Guess they’re not very tolerant of diversity!

4 — A Swain wrote at 7:01 PM on October 13:

Imagine writing to Obama for help in combating racism at the Uni and black racism at that! What a silly fool of a woman!

If Obama bothers to take up her offer, it will be interesting to see whether he’ll be prepared to also openly acknowledge this example of racism emanating from his black brethren against this ‘non-black’ female.

Somehow, I doubt, she’ll get any acknowledgement or sympathy from him for the racism she’s been suffering.

5 — Anonymous wrote at 7:07 PM on October 13:

Sorry girl. You lost because you aren’t the right politically correct color. No one will come to your aid. The media will ignore you. The president will do nothing. You’re just another victim of political correctness.

6 — Jill wrote at 7:25 PM on October 13:

The last Miss Hampton U, Javicia Walker, was arrested for shoplifting from Target during her term as “Queen”. But she wasn’t nearly as controversial because she was black and just keepin’ it real by working a five finger discount into her business major:

http://www.wvec.com/news/hampton/stories/wvec_local_043008_hampton_u_shoplifting.b61d99a9.html

Regardless, the new white Queen has already been dressed down by the administration for speaking out, and has publicly apologized.

http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-miss-hampton-apologizes,0,3459889.story

“A lot of people are mad or upset because they feel like it is not someone that can represent us i mean it is not someone you can look at and say we are not the same skin color how can we relate,” says Chelsey Trammell.

Students were also upset that Churchill wrote President Obama asking him to come to campus and speak on diversity.

“Unless she is talking about healthcare she don’t need to be sending him no letters,” says Lauren King.


7 — Anonymous wrote at 7:34 PM on October 13:

But… we’re all equal. What’s the problem?

8 — concernicus wrote at 7:36 PM on October 13:

So what? Obama won a prize because he was black.

9 — Piedmont Piper wrote at 7:41 PM on October 13:

She’s beautiful…

(I can actually read by the looks on those other girls faces {on her left in the white dress and the black dress} what they be thinkin’ in they heads: “OH NO SHE DIDN’T JUST BEAT US IN THIS CONTEST!”….)

Good for her.

10 — sbuffalonative wrote at 7:48 PM on October 13:


“…others have complained that she is not black and have not seen her visibly on the main campus because she attends the satellite campus in Virginia Beach”

The never-ending double standard.

These people love diversity when it’s a one-way street.

11 — NBJ wrote at 8:10 PM on October 13:

I’m not sure why this silly girl is asking for Obama’s help. Doesn’t she know by now that the ONLY people on this planet who are supposed to be color blind and tolerant are white people? Get a clue Barbie. These black girls hate you with a passion, and if I were you, I’d watch my back.

12 — LouLou wrote at 8:32 PM on October 13:

I actually have some sympathy for the blacks. They go to places like Hampton to be with their own and to promote black self interest. Black women, in particular, are angered at being passed up by many black men for females of other races.

Of course, there is a huge double standard at work and some multicultural chickens are coming home to roost.

13 — Anonymous wrote at 9:12 PM on October 13:

So blacks are mad that at historically black college a non-white is not only there, but is crowned? What made blacks think us “racist whites” enjoyed having our schools, neighborhoods, and culture invaded and ruined by black culture? Blacks have no room to complain about other races sharing in with their culture. Until they stop forcing themselves upon whites while spitting in our faces, they get no sympathy from me.

14 — RHG wrote at 9:36 PM on October 13:

Diversity is only good when it means depriving whitey of something.

15 — P Norman wrote at 10:49 PM on October 13:

“Hampton University crowned its first non-African American Miss Hampton University (HU), on Friday, leading to controversy throughout the Hampton University and larger HBCU community”….because blacks are hypocrits who embrace a double-standard they have no problem with and have always gotten away with.

16 — STEELWOLVES wrote at 11:45 PM on October 13:

>>>> “Unless she is talking about healthcare she don’t need to be sending him no letters,” says Lauren King.

Look at the poor grammar, folks. Obviously “Lauren King” is an English major….tsk. Ahhh, what could be expected from someone attending a black University?

17 — Anonymous wrote at 1:18 AM on October 14:

Doesn’t the student body vote on this? Shouldn’t the complaints be directed at the “racist” students? Anyway, I feel no sympathy for this girl. Why a white person would ever set foot on an HBCU, much less attend one is beyond me.

18 — elitist wrote at 4:09 AM on October 14:

“A lot of people are mad or upset because they feel like it is not someone that can represent us i mean it is not someone you can look at and say we are not the same skin color how can we relate,” says Chelsey Trammell.

“Unless she is talking about healthcare she don’t need to be sending him no letters,” says Lauren King.”

Content aside (and the content it utter GARBAGE, in the first case self-contradictory gibberish), can’t they find a black student who speaks ENGLISH????

19 — Fed Up wrote at 8:30 AM on October 14:

Simply another demonstration of our double-standard. Discriminashun can ONLY be perpetrated by Whites on Blacks. Blacks can do or say anything anti-White with impunity.

If a Black female were selected in a predominantly White university with this kind of anger by the White student body… it would be front page news. But in this case, Black outrage is directed against a White… that makes it perfectly acceptable.

Bigotry is indeed “alive”, but the bigotry is nearly invariably practiced by non-Whites. This story being an excellent demonstration of this reality.

20 — Uncle Gerry wrote at 10:47 AM on October 14:

The sour look on the afro womens faces makes them look as unatractive as they realy are. The white woman did not need a beauty crown to stand out. In the contest of real life white women are the prize and the black chicks know it.

21 — Seek wrote at 12:38 PM on October 14:

The angry black voices are but one part of the story. The other part is this: Why would a white woman enroll at Hampton or any other black university? To prove her enlightened bonafides?

Hampton University from the start has been black turf. I can’t blame the blacks for not accepting Ms. Churchill as one of their own. She could have attended the University of Virginia or Virginia Commonwealth and avoided this controversy. That she didn’t is a choice she made. She has to live with that choice.

22 — nonwhiteguilt wrote at 1:03 PM on October 14:

The more “diverse” a place is, the less White people there are. Plain and simple.

It’s going to start first with hunting down the pure Whites. Once those are out of the question and all you have left are people with fair skin, high yellows, and non-Whites parading around with blue eyes and European features (e.g., Adriana Lima), the darker people will hate them. I’ve seen this first hand, knowing a fellow that was half-White and half-Chinese but having very, very fair skin, who was taunted for it in high school, even though he’s not White by any standard.

In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. But most darker peoples hate monarchy and non-communist forms of government.

23 — Aaron wrote at 1:06 PM on October 14:

How much controversy is there, when a black is crowned homecoming queen at a historically white college?

24 — Anonymous wrote at 3:28 PM on October 14:

The only real surprise in my book is that Churchill won at all. I used to work at Hampton University — I was the only white employees in a department of 16, and one of only a handful of whites in my entire administrative building.

I dealt with students in a customer service type-position. I sat right in front of the door in the office I shared with two other employees, and students often walked right past my desk to stand in line to wait for a black employee to assist them. I was frequently called racist slurs, usually under the breath while crossing paths on the stairs or on the sidewalk. I once even had a student spit on my feet after muttering under his breath about my race.

The crowning glory, however, was when I decided to participate in the faculty-staff talent show the school puts on annually for the students. I was the only white performer. A cool initial reception from the students in the audience came as no surprise. What DID surprise me however (although, in retrospect, in should not have), was the frostiness with which I was greeted by the vast majority of other employees and professors who were themselves participating in the show.

My take-away lesson from my time working there? Tolerance and diversity are by no means two-way streets…and on that campus I was walking the wrong way down the wrong street.

25 — Anonymous wrote at 10:41 PM on October 14:

A Desi (East Indian) at work told me that women’s clothes catalogs are using a few Desi women to model the clothes because it is much easier to find a reasonably attractive dark brown woman from the Indian subcontinent than a slender, pleasant looking “sistah” from the hood. She says that it not only a question of facial features but body type. She says that it would be hard to find black catalog models without massive thighs and behinds. My co-worker claims that the clothes catalogs are hoping that White consumers will mistake these Desi women for attractive, lady-like mulattos, and so have the warm and fuzzy feeling that they (Whites) are enlightened and appreciate black “beauty.”

26 — Anonymous wrote at 10:08 AM on October 15:

“The more “diverse” a place is, the less White people there are. Plain and simple”.

“My take-away lesson from my time working there (HBC)? Tolerance and diversity are by no means two-way streets…”

Couldn’t be more true. Historically Black colleges and mostly black schools and jobsites, also stress diversity and sensitivity. Emphasis it, in many cases, even more so than the uber-liberal campus. What they mean by diversity and sensitivity, however, are more blacks and more sensitivity towards them.

‘Diversity’, for the most part stands for being anti-white, and wherever it’s official, if you bother to look closer, in each and every case where the reality of diversity is official, it stands for naked discrimination against whites.

27 — Whiteplight wrote at 5:23 PM on October 15:

We have to ask why a white woman would want to attend a traditionally all black college? Is it for the boys, or the attention? Whatever it is, as she is from Hawaii, it is a nearly forgone conclusion to make that she is very liberal and likely clueless as to the real racial concerns.


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