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Michelle Obama thesis was on racial divide

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Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama's senior thesis at Princeton University shows a young woman grappling with race and society.
Photo: AP

Michelle Obama's senior year thesis at Princeton University, obtained from the campaign by Politico, shows a document written by a young woman grappling with a society in which a black Princeton alumnus might only be allowed to remain "on the periphery." Read the full thesis here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

"My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before," the future Mrs. Obama wrote in her thesis introduction. "I have found that at Princeton, no matter how liberal and open-minded some of my white professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don't belong. Regardless of the circumstances underwhich I interact with whites at Princeton, it often seems as if, to them, I will always be black first and a student second."

The thesis, titled "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community" and written under her maiden name, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, in 1985, has been the subject of much conjecture on the blogosphere and elsewhere in recent weeks, as it has been "temporarily withdrawn" from Princeton's library until after this year's presidential election in November. Some of the material has been written about previously, however, including a story last year in the Newark Star Ledger.

Obama writes that the path she chose by attending Princeton would likely lead to her "further integration and/or assimilation into a white cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant."

During a presidential contest in which the term "transparency" has been frequently bandied about, candidates have buried a number of potentially revealing documents and papers. In Hillary Rodham Clinton's case, there's been a clamoring for tax records, White House memos and other material the candidate's team has chosen to keep from release. The 96-page Princeton thesis, restricted from release by the school's Mudd Library, has also been the subject of recent scrutiny.

Earlier this week, commentator Jonah Goldberg remarked on National Review Online, "A reader in the know informs me that Michelle Obama's thesis ... is unavailable until Nov. 5, 2008, at the Princeton library. I wonder why."

"Why a restricted thesis?" asked blogger-pastor Louis Lapides on his site Thinking Outside the Blog. "Is the concern based on what's in the thesis? Will Michelle Obama appear to be too black for white America or not black enough for black America?"

Attempts to retrieve the document through Princeton proved unsuccessful, with school librarians having been pestered so much for access to the thesis that they have resorted to reading from a script when callers inquire about it. Media officers at the prestigious university were similarly unhelpful, claiming it is "not unusual" for a thesis to be restricted and refusing to discuss "the academic work of alumni."

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Replies: 1713      
avatar for user trevorz72
Party: Independent
Reply #1
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:26 PM EST

Ok, so whats the big deal?
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avatar for user I_B_4_FRED
Party: Republican
Reply #2
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:30 PM EST

Ah yes the race baiters once again.


BYRON TRAVEL FOR SEC. OF STATE. "Obama OOH Mau Mau Obama OOH Mau Mau"
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default avatar for user jungleboy
Party: Democrat
Reply #3
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:31 PM EST

I echo Trevorz...what's the big deal. It was 1985 and a very very very very different United States. She was a young black woman in a predominately white college and society. This was the same year, I would remind everyone, where Cosby premiered. It was an important shift in racial identity in this country and her thesis illustrates a young woman of color who is attempting to find her voice and place in this changing society. It shows a woman who is balanced in her viewpoint. There's nothing racists or remotely wrong in this, and it appears as if Politico was trying to make a big deal aobut Princeton refusing to release it, yet they got it with just asking the Obama campaign. Maybe that's the lesson. You ask the candidates something directly from Obama you get answers from Clinton you get excuses (tax returns, papers in white house, the list goes on). Nothing here. More Politico straw grasping and no-nothing story to scare away the fringe white vote who might take this to be some kind of, I don't know what, at times all this gets exhausting.

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avatar for user trevorz72
Party: Independent
Reply #4
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:34 PM EST

I mean really, is there something I am missing in all of this?
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avatar for user Dave in Sacramento
Party: Independent
Reply #5
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:34 PM EST  updated

The title isn't very promising. Anyway, I'm wondering just how long we're going to have to wait before she announces her candidacy for congress. She looks like a yet another quality addition to match the tide of our times.

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avatar for user I_B_4_FRED
Party: Republican
Reply #6
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:35 PM EST

I think if anything, this article explains what a lot of blacks would think back in the day almost 20 years ago and why she would say :for the first time in her adult life she is really proud of this country". It makes since to me a die hard republican conservative.

It's just to bad that the Clinton's want to use it for evil. You know the Clinton's. Crying for MLK, those people.


BYRON TRAVEL FOR SEC. OF STATE. "Obama OOH Mau Mau Obama OOH Mau Mau"
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default avatar for user minna37
Party: NA
Reply #7
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:36 PM EST

I don't know why we care about her undergrad thesis -- anyone would be embarrassed by undergrad papers once over the age of 30. Nothing is that startling. As a smart black women she always felt like an outsider in the Ivy Tower . . . she's not the first and unfortunately not the last. I just don't get why politico is so tabloid-ish. A much more important story is that after her "valedictory" moment last night, Hillary Clinton told a Texas magazine this morning that she was going to fight to seat MI and Florida, to get those delegates. Isn't that much more relevant to what's going on w/the primary?
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default avatar for user JFK Dem67
Party: Democrat
Reply #8
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:36 PM EST

I WANT TO READ Mr.OBAMA THESIS. WHY DOESN'T HE RELEASE HIS? ANYONE AGREE?
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avatar for user trevorz72
Party: Independent
Reply #9
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:37 PM EST

I seriously doubt she pulls a Hillary. I don't see her as a polititon
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avatar for user lifeisgoodok
Party: Independent
Reply #10
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:37 PM EST

Telling the truth as it was at that time should not be perceived as negative. We learn by our negative experiences.
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avatar for user Mercer
Party: Conservative
Reply #11
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:38 PM EST

Buyer beware of these two. Just too slick. We do not know enough about them. His has risen way to fast.


Mercer The Home is the greatest influence on the character of Mankind
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default avatar for user TASutpen
Party: Green
Reply #12
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:41 PM EST

Well, you see this and the other story today about Obama meeting Bill Ayres and Bernadine Dohrn are intended to have a cumulative effect. The idea is to recast the Obamas as latter-day Black Panthers (you know, an Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver for the new milennium) in the public mind, and also suggest by inference that they're willing to countenance terrorism against the United States. It's a way Politico can play the Race and Terror card in the same instant (and I think it's pretty obvious who the intended beneficiary is).
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default avatar for user Gil T
Party: NA
Reply #13
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:41 PM EST

It is beyond transparent that the folks at Politico.com are Pro-McCain and Anti-Obama. Why haven't you covered the fact that the FEC is investigating McCain's loan? Why is there no update on the McCain lobbyist NY Times story when Newsweek and the Washington Post have reported them? Why is there no story on how most of McCain's current campaign advisors are lobbyist? Cherry picking what to politically cover is sad. And I thought Drudge and FoxNews were unbalanced. Silly me.
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default avatar for user WhaddaJoke
Party: Democrat
Reply #14
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:42 PM EST

This is Politico's Lead? Surveys show black graduates of Princeton don't exclusively identify with race? There are distinctions between what we think of as Black culture and White culture/ Shocking... Way to break the news... Politico is really trying to cash in on chitty-chat pseudo journalism... maybe we'll get other non storie like Hillary's undergrad work, McCain giving a wedgie to some of his buds at Annapolis.. Who gives a sh*#??? Also the comment system needs tweaking...
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default avatar for user D.affiliated
Party: Independent
Reply #15
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:42 PM EST

Oh give me a frickin break, Politico really is out to get the Obama camp. First of all people, trying to inject race into her comments about feeling "really proud of America" for the first time in her adult life is just bigot-guilt talking. Look at what she said on it's face; she said that she feels really proud because people are energized and ready to work together for change. She specifically said in her original statement that it's not simply because her husband is doing well. If anything, her statement was a political thing not a racial thing; conservatives have basically been in control politically since 1980 and that's the period that she's referring to. Surely there was more racial prejudice in America prior to the 80's, so she would have been less proud during that time if that was really the basis for her statement. You right-wing imbeciles are SOOOOOOOO emotional.
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avatar for user I_B_4_FRED
Party: Republican
Reply #16
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:43 PM EST

Mercer : Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:38 PM EST

His has risen way to fast.

My exwife used to say the same thing to me. or was it just the opposite.


BYRON TRAVEL FOR SEC. OF STATE. "Obama OOH Mau Mau Obama OOH Mau Mau"
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default avatar for user destempel
Party: NA
Reply #17
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:43 PM EST

Oh come on. What IS the big deal. The author of this article has taken small excerpts from an academic thesis for the sake of sensationalism. Shame on you.
destempel
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default avatar for user TASutpen
Party: Green
Reply #18
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:44 PM EST

Well, you see this and the other story today about Obama meeting Bill Ayres and Bernadine Dohrn are intended to have a cumulative effect. The idea is to recast the Obamas as latter-day Black Panthers (you know, an Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver for the new milennium) in the public mind, and also suggest by inference that they're willing to countenance terrorism against the United States. It's a way Politico can play the Race and Terror card in the same instant (and I think it's pretty obvious who the intended beneficiary is).
ReplyReply     QuoteQuote     Report AbuseReport Abuse
default avatar for user Teresa1
Party: Democrat
Reply #19
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:44 PM EST

Have we really sunk to this level? When is Politico going to get Cindy McCain to release the contents of her sealed criminal files for stealing drugs? If you are going after Michelle, why not Cindy?
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default avatar for user JFK Dem67
Party: Democrat
Reply #20
Date: Feb. 22, 2008 - 4:45 PM EST

DID ANYONE SEE THE VIDEO OF OBAMA AND VANILLA ICE. IT'S FUNNY ,BUT TRUE. THEY BOTH RIP OFF OTHERS MATERIAL LOL
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