The Spin Cycle of Success

by Laurence Bass

Khadijah Williams' nomadic trek from homeless shelter to homeless shelter en route to HarvardUniversity is a joyous one. Both Vanity Fair and The Los Angeles Times have clicked the stopwatch to begin her gilded 15 minutes. Williams' heroic story made me think of all the bright minds in my native West Baltimore who've become dimly lit after falling victim to the proverbial "trap". Yes, her choice to pursue academics over peril is a testament to her commitment to excellence which we all should follow, but one does not represent the multitude.

The bootstrap rhetoric of Booker T. Washington, bargain-breaking rant of Bill Cosby and Obama's "no excuses" clause is being thrown back in the collective face of Black America. Williams' is becoming the poster child for the "If she can do it..." campaign sponsored by Bill O'Reilly and the rest of mainstream America. The media's fascination with Ms. Williams is not surprising. It's portrayed daily that we are living in an era where we have come to an amicable consensus on race relations and poverty. Let's be real. The playing field is far from being level and the finish line is past the horizon. Her mother and younger sister are still on the streets as she makes her pilgrimage to ivied-halls of Harvard. Los Angeles' Skid Row, like many cities around this country, is overrun with people in need. Williams' success doesn't mean that the varying issues that plague our nation are disappearing. Vanity Fair has typecast her as "a Homeless Harvard Girl". It's clear that the language of the Southern Planters is still in effect.

As CNN probes black life in America the same way ESPN runs down the scores of last nights games, the champion becomes the example. Do applaud Williams on her effort, but just be aware of how it's being spun.