[... D’Sousa writes, “When you achieve a goal on any grounds other than
your own merits, the pride is that much less earned, the reward that much
less satisfactory”...]
Could this be the reason Michelle Obama felt like a “visitor” at Princeton?
Given the number of alumni children who attend the Ivies, I am sure there were many others who displayed similar academic skills. However Michelle would not have travelled in their social circles. Though I would suggest her real reason for alienation was being unable to match the skill of Blacks enrolled at Princeton on their own merits. As she saw those moving into high achieving careers her response was to denigrate their accomplishment and career choices. She creates this bizarre segregationist career path as an act of spite towards those fellow Blacks who chose success over separation
Black guilt?
Of course it is. Every human being is acutely aware when in a situation in which he cannot compete.