A Northwestern Memory

 

Isabel Wilkerson is going to give the commencement address at Northwestern this year.  Things were different when I went to NU. There was one black student who sat with us sometimes at the coffee place.  He was the son of a big shot at the Post Office.  There was another black person in one of my classes.  I was teamed up with him on a project for the class.  He came over to the sorority house where I lived to work on the project.  The house mother called me aside and said I should not have invited him. "It doesn't look good."   “Did you know” I said: “he’s a Prince.  He’s the son of a tribal king in Africa.”  “Oh my,” said the house mother.  “We should invite him to speak.  I’m sure he’s so interesting!"