Maybe he should avoid putting “Graduation Speaker” on HIS resumé
Well, I’m officially a Mizzou alum! Last night’s ceremony was filled with a series of mini emotional roller coasters and time with friends and colleagues I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, there was an incident during commencement that I’m sure few people will forget either, and all for the wrong reasons.
I was psyched when I heard CBS’s own Bill Geist would be our guest speaker at commencement. As someone who watches the Sunday morning news shows more religiously than some of the most avid football fans, it was an honor to have such an influential part of that discourse, and the news in general, literally feet away from me. The vibe I got from my fellow graduates was that they felt the same; I doubt that man could have walked into a more welcoming environment than his alma mater filled with idolizing students.
But at one point during the speech, a joke about unpaid internships took a turn for the worse. To paraphrase, Geist first compared the internships to federal wage violations, then to slavery. Then came the quip (paraphrased): “Although, I wonder what would happen IF SOMEONE PUT COTTON-PICKING ON THEIR RESUME.” The groans were audible and the tension in the room palpable. I want to try and break down this reaction beyond the obvious disgust.
I can’t help but wonder if some people only reacted negatively to the joke because of the cotton ball incident at MU this year (see the archives of my blog for my post on that). In that respect, it makes the inappropriate comment all the more so for being said too soon on a campus dealing with the sensitive issue of racial inequality. The cotton ball incident, and subsequent sentences the two vandals received, is a glaring reminder that MU and Columbia have a long way to go before achieving true equality and diversity within the community. At a time like this, the Mizzou family needs to be working together to move forward in a more progressive manner, not dredging up the past. Use the past as a learning experience, not a punch line.
But had the cotton ball incident never happened at MU, Geist’s comment was still completely out of line. There is never an appropriate time to make a joke of slavery. It’s a national tragedy that started before the U.S. was even a nation, an human beings allowed this deplorable act to continue (at the expense of other human beings) for more than a century. Furthermore, applying that joke to a set-up about a tough job search only serves to underscore the disparities in hiring practices that still exist in this country, whether we like to admit it or not. Corporate America is still whitewashed, people are still trying to peg affirmative action as “reverse racism” (which I’ve never understood, because since when has this reversal really done anything to compromise the quality of life for white people?) and salary gaps along racial lines are still an all-too-common part of our society. Finally, I wonder if Geist took into consideration the slavery that still exists worldwide when he made his joke. It’s absolutely deplorable to find humor in this, one of the sickest parts of the human condition.
I find it unfortunate that my graduation from the Missouri School of Journalism will most likely be marred by this comment for years to come. Graduation is supposed to be a time of people coming together in achievement and celebration of the shared promises of our futures. And a guest speaker is supposed to inspire the graduates to reach that more positive future. When you take an issue like slavery as a joke, you prove yourself the antithesis of achievement and the future. It would be too hasty to call Bill Geist a racist, but racially insensitive and inappropriate? In this case, he definitely fits the bill.
Still, I hope that my fellow graduates will be able to look at this event like we have so many other adverse events during our time at MU. I am amazed by our collective ability to look at problems of the present and find amazing and creative ways to eliminate them for the future. We’ve built houses. We’ve shed light on unspeakable poverty. We’ve given people the gift of mobility. And maybe this joke is a reminder of how much we can change in the world, be it through journalism or any other method we choose. Like last night’s commencement ceremony, Geist’s joke is the past. Let’s find the motivation to make a future that’s better than that.
Congratulations again to all of the 2010 graduates. I’m thrilled to be a part of it. M-I-Z!
