Daphne Maxwell Reid, known for her role as Aunt Viv on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” had never seen racism until she came to Northwestern. Her memories have kept her from coming back since she graduated in 1970 until now. She spoke Thursday evening at the McCormick Tribune Center in front of about 60 people.
Reid, only one of 36 black students at the time, recounted her experience moving into Willard Residential College.
“I was just starting to unpack, and a girl came to the door and she looked at the number and then she looked at me, and she said, ‘I’m not staying in a room with a (n-word),’ ” Reid said.
A New York City native, Reid had always lived in a diverse neighborhood segregated by class, not race.
“When I came to Northwestern, suddenly they said there are only two worlds – black and white – and it threw me,” Reid said. “(Race) was held against me, not embraced, as it was when I grew up.”
Sophomore year, a roommate of Reid’s encouraged her to run for Homecoming Queen by submitting a photo she had posed for in Seventeen Magazine. She became the first black Homecoming Queen at NU. She said she “heard crickets” when her name was announced, and the university president “regarded me with total disregard.”
Reid also tried going through sorority recruitment. After finding out she was a model, one chapter told Reid to pledge but asked her to pretend to be Hawaiian.
“It made me feel like they thought I was not proud of who I was or what I was, like there was something wrong with me being black,” she said.
Some members of the audience, like Medill senior Cambrey Thomas, wondered why Reid didn’t transfer.
“I was completely shocked that she put up with that for four years on this campus,” Thomas said.
Reid said she was raised as a woman who could do anything she wanted to do.
“There was no reason for me to transfer,” she said. “I was getting a good education, so why would I leave? Running doesn’t do anything. You can’t affect change if you run.”
The NU Black Alumni Association invited Reid two years ago to receive a Hall of Fame award in Chicago.
“I told them of my adventures at Northwestern, why I had not been back, why I would not let my son apply to Northwestern,” Reid said.
Cathy Stembridge, executive director of the Northwestern Alumni Association, said Reid’s story broke her heart. She wanted to bring Reid back to share her experience with students.
“I know nothing can change the past,” said Stembridge, who coordinated Reid’s visit along with University President Henry Bienen. “All we can do is build on that, and I think we’ll be able to do that this weekend.”
Saturday, Reid will crown this year’s Homecoming royalty at Ryan Field. She’s happy to reconnect with NU, she said.
“I’m grateful that times have changed,” she said. “It’s a whole new world.”
