The Diversity Show, Starring Michelle Obama: 'We Need More White People'

Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 10:31:28 am PDT

When Michelle Obama spoke at Carnegie Mellon University last week, her event organizers had a very specific purpose in mind as they handpicked the people who sat behind her: Michelle Obama speaks at presidential rally in Skibo Gym.

While the crowd was indeed diverse, some students at the event questioned the practices of Mrs. Obama’s event coordinators, who handpicked the crowd sitting behind Mrs. Obama. The Tartan’s correspondents observed one event coordinator say to another, “Get me more white people, we need more white people.” To an Asian girl sitting in the back row, one coordinator said, “We’re moving you, sorry. It’s going to look so pretty, though.”

“I didn’t know they would say, ‘We need a white person here,’ ” said attendee and senior psychology major Shayna Watson, who sat in the crowd behind Mrs. Obama. “I understood they would want a show of diversity, but to pick up people and to reseat them, I didn’t know it would be so outright.”

(Hat tip: Terp Mole.)