High school seniors from all over the country considering the option of attending Reed College in Portland, Oregon have an amazing opportunity to apply for an all-expenses-paid program, including round-trip air travel, room and board, to visit campus ahead of the fall semester...there's just one catch: whites need not apply.
The program is called the "Discover Reed Fly-In Program," but if you're a poor person, who happens to also be white, then you're just shit out of luck.
You are eligible for this program if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is a high school senior from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds (African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander) who is living with the U.S. or U.S. territories.
While we could be wrong, we're almost certain there are millions of white kids living in abject poverty around the country as well. Perhaps this program is simply intended to offset the 'white privilege' they've undoubtedly enjoyed their whole lives?
As Campus Reform points out, subsidized campus visit programs exist at many colleges around the country but they're usually need based...which would seem to make some sense.
Diversity-themed programs that pledge to fly in minority students have existed at many private colleges for several years, but the Reed program differs from most in that it is offered exclusively to racial minorities, whereas other programs usually offer travel assistance to first-generation college students and students from low-income households, as well.
Middlebury College, for instance, offers its annual “multicultural open house” to “students (regardless of ethnicity) with demonstrated financial hardship; and students who are first in their families to pursue a four-year college education,” and Carleton College makes similar allowances for its “Taste of Carleton” program.
Of course, when Campus Reform called to ask about the program they were assured that similar programs were available to students of all races...the problem with those assurances, however, was that the administrators couldn't identify such programs and there's seemingly no mention of them on Reed's website. That's odd.
When Campus Reform reached out to Reed College for comment regarding the racial exclusivity of their Discover Reed program, a spokesperson claimed that the school offers travel scholarships to students of all “cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds,” just not through its main fly-in program.
While the spokesman claimed that there are “different programs” that offer travel assistance to non-racial minorities who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, he could not refer Campus Reform to any formal program listed on their website, despite repeated inquiries.
The school’s Admissions website does “strongly encourage” prospective students to visit campus, but only offers financial subsidies for the Discover Reed Fly-In Program and two other travel voucher programs that are likewise restricted to “students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds.”
In summary, the progressive approach to fighting racism is, once again, more segregation and more racism...