Joy Ann Reid: ‘I Got into Harvard Only Because of Affirmative Action’

Reid Let me just ░░░░░░░░ clear I got into ░░░░░░░░ only because of affirmative ░░░░░░░░ I went to a ░░░░░░░░ no one had ever ░░░░░░░░ of in Denver Colorado ░░░░░░░░ a small suburb I ░░░░░░░░ t go to Exeter ░░░░░░░░ Andover I didn t ░░░░░░░░ college test prep I ░░░░░░░░ happened to be really ░░░░░░░░ and smart and have ░░░░░░░░ good grades and good ░░░░░░░░ scores But someone came ░░░░░░░░ Denver Colorado to look ░░░░░░░░ me A Harvard recruiter ░░░░░░░░ to Denver and I ░░░░░░░░ me up with her ░░░░░░░░ the Village Inn Restaurant ░░░░░░░░ did a pre interview ░░░░░░░░ pull me into Harvard ░░░░░░░░ was pulled in HAYES ░░░░░░░░ Reid Affirmatively and it ░░░░░░░░ literally not saying we ░░░░░░░░ going to take an ░░░░░░░░ person and put them ░░░░░░░░ Harvard We re going ░░░░░░░░ take a very qualified ░░░░░░░░ who we would never ░░░░░░░░ existed and put them ░░░░░░░░ Harvard That s how ░░░░░░░░ got there That s ░░░░░░░░ Ketanji got there That ░░░░░░░░ how Justice Jackson I ░░░░░░░░ say Justice Jackson got ░░░░░░░░ It s how Clarence ░░░░░░░░ got there But the ░░░░░░░░ I arrived from my ░░░░░░░░ black little town Montbello ░░░░░░░░ Denver to Harvard the ░░░░░░░░ like week or two ░░░░░░░░ I was in class ░░░░░░░░ presence was questioned by ░░░░░░░░ people I was in ░░░░░░░░ big conference class where ░░░░░░░░ white students stood up ░░░░░░░░ said those students the ░░░░░░░░ students they are only ░░░░░░░░ because of affirmative action ░░░░░░░░ became a huge argument ░░░░░░░░ we all ended up ░░░░░░░░ This was freshman year ░░░░░░░░ had never had my ░░░░░░░░ credentials questioned I had ░░░░░░░░ had anyone question whether ░░░░░░░░ was intelligent until I ░░░░░░░░ to Harvard And it ░░░░░░░░ a defining point of ░░░░░░░░ experience there It s ░░░░░░░░ one of the many ░░░░░░░░ I was miserable there ░░░░░░░░ my freshman year You ░░░░░░░░ completely out of place ░░░░░░░░ people keep telling you ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t be here ░░░░░░░░ yet some of the ░░░░░░░░ I went to school ░░░░░░░░ were far less smart ░░░░░░░░ me or the other ░░░░░░░░ folks there They got ░░░░░░░░ because their daddy and ░░░░░░░░ grandaddy I went to ░░░░░░░░ with somebody whose name ░░░░░░░░ on one of the ░░░░░░░░ You re going to ░░░░░░░░ with people whose names ░░░░░░░░ on the buildings who ░░░░░░░░ third and fourth generation ░░░░░░░░ whose parents pumped money ░░░░░░░░ Harvard to get them ░░░░░░░░ But that affirmative action ░░░░░░░░ okay with this majority ░░░░░░░░ said that the people ░░░░░░░░ benefited from slavery their ░░░░░░░░ who are so far ░░░░░░░░ of black folk in ░░░░░░░░ of opportunity that we ░░░░░░░░ never catch up to ░░░░░░░░ I don t care ░░░░░░░░ many Oprahs we get ░░░░░░░░ people s affirmative action ░░░░░░░░ A OK Because those ░░░░░░░░ can pay for fancy ░░░░░░░░ for them But you ░░░░░░░░ who want to get ░░░░░░░░ just because of your ░░░░░░░░ but you are not ░░░░░░░░ a legacy too bad ░░░░░░░░ can t come in ░░░░░░░░ We re out of ░░░░░░░░ but I would commend ░░░░░░░░ to read the JFK ░░░░░░░░ essay which is a ░░░░░░░░ hilarious document.”