Berea College: Fourth Great Commitment Analysis

Berea College has a historic mission to educate disadvantaged individuals. However, it must be asked, what are the most important characteristics that should be considered during the admission process? This essay will argue that when determining whom it should serve, the 2 most important characteristics the college should consider are race and class. This conclusion will be met through the analysis of Berea’s great commitments, as well as by determining whether John G. Fee’s commitment to equality and diversity still needs to be recognized and upheld in our modern society.

In order to properly discuss the importance of race and class in the context of Berea College, one must first have an understanding of the social climate at the time of

The fifth Great Commitment reads “To provide an educational opportunity for students who have high ability and limited economic resources (Smith 89).” Both of these commitments prove that the college values its obligation to race and class. After many years of deliberation and revisions, the great Commitments were rewritten once again in 2017. The first of these revised commitments reads “To provide an educational opportunity for students of all races, primarily from Appalachia, who have great promise and limited economic resources (Smith 124).” This revised commitment combines the previous two, and puts them in the number one spot to show that even today Berea is rooted in purpose and obligation to the

Race is important because the American government and society have consistently engaged in discrimination, and the systemic oppression of non-white races. This mistreatment as a result has greatly affected the amount of opportunities available to minorities. Although Berea’s commitment to interracial education includes people of all races, for the purposes of this essay, the scope will be narrowed slightly to focus on the struggle of African Americans because of Berea’s abolitionist history, and Hispanics because of American prejudice.

Undoubtedly, Berea College has a history of promoting racial equality. Yet, it could be argued that the college no longer needs to highlight these issues, because racism is no longer a problem in modern American society, and educational opportunities are equally available to any individual who works hard enough for them. However, it can be proven that these arguments are not valid simply by utilizing current scientific data. By analyzing this concrete evidence, one can conclude that systemic racism still directly impacts minorities, and that quality education is often not available to marginalized