By now, I'm sure you've seen it, and if you're sensible, it pissed you off, too. Celebrities like Lori Loughlin (aka Aunt Becky on Full House), Felicity Huffman (aka Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives), and over 50 other wealthy parents have been handed federal charges for literally buying their children's way into Ivey League schools and other popular universities. From staging photos of their kids playing sports so they could be admitted on sports scholarships (for sports they don't even play), to hiring smarter "decoy" kids take standardized tests, and even good-ole-fashioned bribery of collegiate officials, these parents paid up to half a million dollars each to ensure their kids' place at these top-level institutions. The kids weren't smart enough to get in on their own merrit, nor athletic or involved enough to be admitted based on ability. They were mediocre, but had money, so here we are.
Many of us are angered by the scandal, but depending on who you are, you might be mad for varying reasons. Some are simply upset by how unfair it is that these 1%-ers were able to buy their kids' ways into school while the rest of us had to bust our asses to get where we were going. Others are upset because these schools allowed this to happen in the first place, proving that cash is king and their integrity is in the toilet, no matter how prestigious of an institution they claim to be (I'm looking at you, Yale and Stanford and USC). But, while these are all great reasons to be angry, some of us are mad for other reasons—a lifetime of reasons.
I, along with many others, grew up Black.
We worked hard to get good grades in school and did what we could to stand out academically. Some of us even excelled, passing up many of our peers in academics, athletics, extra-curricular activities, the arts, and so on. We come from varying backgrounds—many of us from poverty, some of us from the dwindling middle class—but one thing remains constant among us: we were made to feel as though we didn't belong. Depending on where we grew up, some of our parents used the address of a family member or friend to allow us access to better schools in safer environments (note that often times, these parents have no other choice, while the wealthy have all of these resources at their disposal). After working twice as hard to get half as far as our white peers, or going the distance with twice the effort, many of us were still told by our white counterparts that we only got into our respective institutions because we are Black.
Some might have even passed our presence off as "reverse racism" because of the kinds of scholarships many of us received from Black organizations like NPHC orgs, NAACP, Urban League, and other local programs. If they didn't tell us to our faces, they whispered it behind our backs using coded, loaded language when addressing things like affirmative action, "minority admissions", scholarships, sports, etc. And then, even after we graduate, we still get crap from select white folks in our professions who have a chip on their shoulder about the space we take up, somehow believing the lie that we "stole" these coveted spots at our jobs and schools simply by being Black. Not because we were qualified or worked hard to beat the odds or remained dedicated, but because we're Black, inherently lazy, and perpetually helpless—*Kandi Burruss voice*: "The lies, the lies, the lies!"
So, with this in mind, watching this admissions scandal unfold has me HEATED—not just because of how unfair it is to qualified, working- and middle-class students who can't afford to attend or buy their way in, but also because the very people who are quickest point the finger at Black folks were the ones doing the most dirt. Ain't that something else? They have all the resources of the world a their fingertips in a society built to benefit them, and STILL felt the need to cheat and scam and thieve. To quote Beyoncé at her 2018 Coachella-headlining performance, "Ain't that bout a bitch?"
I'd say I was surprised, but I'm not. I'm always angry, yet never surprised, because that's what white mediocrity is: rampant enough to enrage, but common enough to be normalized. These children of the rich, white, and (so-called) elite—some of whom didn't even want to go to school to begin with (see Lori Loughlin's daughter)—didn't earn their ways in, not only because they weren't capable, but because they simply didn't have to. They realized that money doesn't make you special, but it can make you feel special if you use it right, so they bought their way in with money that would take me years to make on the clock. I guess what's most insulting about this though, is knowing that they didn't even need to do this. These families will literally be rich forever and aren't in desperate need of pursuing an education at these institutions to escape a harsh reality. Yet, they still bought their way in for the sake of being rich and holding a legacy title.
But there's a bright side to this, I think.
Many of us knew that the rich have practically been buying their own wealth since the beginning, but now they're getting super-exposed for it. This scandal has brought about very important conversations regarding wealth, power, and race. Now, people can't pretend this isn't happening. Upper-class folks and white folks of all classes can no longer point the finger at Black folks to blame us for "stealing" spots at these institutions or accuse us of not truly earning everything we've worked so hard to gain. Now, if they continue with these shenanigans, they do so in the face of a very public, very scrutinized scandal plump with evidence that proves otherwise. Now, they're faced with the haunting fact that they were wrong, they've been exposed, and they're the ones who lose in the end.
If there's a mantra I live by, it's this: I never wish ill will on others; I only wish people get what they deserve. Black folks have long deserved to hold our heads high and hold our accomplishments dear without the resounding remarks from white-America that we are unworthy or incapable (because we're the shit and we know it, and THEY know it, too). Conversely, the rich and wealthy who thieve and hide their hands have long deserved to be exposed, shamed, and punished for literally buying opportunities that others have worked so hard for, and who need it far more than they ever will. Will these folks caught in scandal go to prison? Probably not, because white and wealthy. And even if they do, they'll probably serve some small, Martha Stewart time and be welcomed back to society with a book deal and a sob story (mark my words: I'm calling it now). Besides, Lori Loughlin has already placed $1M bond (million, with six 0's), which is a testament to how easy it is for folks like her to escape time behind bars when they have the funds to do what they want.
But, there's one thing I'm certain of: the kind of people who do this—commit white-collar crime with scams, scandals, and big bucks—do so for the sake of their family's name. That's why legacy admissions are a thing: to protect the legacy of a family and uphold its wealth and worth for generations to come. Because this scandal has been exposed, no matter how many years go by, their family names will always be associated with their crimes. From here on, they'll always be whispered about, looked at with a side-eye, made to carry this public shame for years to come. If they're not shunned by their wealthy peers, the public eye certainly won't hesitate to bring up the skeletons in their closet (Black Twitter forgets nothing and forgives no one).
Now, I said I don't wish ill will on nobody, but am I complaining about these thieving, rich folks getting the backlash they deserve? No ma'am; no at all. In fact, I can't wait to sip my tea and watch the rest of this unfold. Let's see where this scandal takes us; I'm dying to see how this ends.
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