Ballard Responds on Portside Blog: Response to Come?

R.Ballard says:

December 15, 2009 at 6:42 am

To Mr. Merrill:
I am nearly at a loss for words to express how impressed I am with your explication of Black Liberal/Radicalist thought, and with this piece overall. I have never in ALL my time here at Claremont seen such an attempt to understand the historical context and philosophical underpinnings of my positions as a black leftist (and it’s especially significant that this comes from an individual who doesn’t necessarily claim in invest in these positions himself). This is just good journalism/commentary, whatever position one takes.

To whomever it may concern:
I will be posting another video…or two…or three very soon. You cannot currently see the original videos because I’ve deactivated my facebook in order to focus on my finals. However, it will be back up in a matter of hours.

To Ashley:
Once my facebook is reactivated, I encourage you to read the comments on the video made by students–black students, students of color, white students, students who identify as queer–I think you’ll find that, among those students in attendance, MOST of them felt as I did and were very uncomfortable with being observed. And among those who are aware of the salience of marginalization, they agree with my position & that of other black students in attendance. So before you write off my feelings with “Well, she still had no reason to be upset.” please recognize that while you may not -agree- with my reason, there obviously was one…and I wasn’t the only person that felt that way.

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R.Ballard says:

December 15, 2009 at 3:44 pm

Obviously I didn’t FABRICATE that the students did not engage with Black students. I know that everyone genuinely wants to believe I hate white people… or Asian-Americans? or just non-Black people? (i.e. my adoptive parents, my biological mother, my siblings…) However, if I had seen the students engaging with Black students, I would have just focused on their attendance of a pan-African event.

Kassandra did YOU have a conversation with the RAs? When did you see them engaging with other?–While they were in line to eat?

I think that it’s notable that you (K.P.) felt the need to list your OBSA credentials, because it helps to further highlight the distinction between MY feelings, the feelings of other students and the policies/official stance of OBSA. OBSA is an institutional office beholden to the colleges–it does not represent a monolithic (or correct) Black stance.

To ‘Anon’ …I love how because Kassandra refutes me and her statements support your stance, she’s obviously the one who’s being truthful (but not necessarily critical). You’re already working from the opinion that I have deeply seeded prejudices, therefore I MUST have a motive for lying.