Black History Month Comes to Ivy Schools

With the memory of the interethnic Visions '89 conference still fresh, cross-cultural understanding will be the theme of Black History Month at several Ivy League schools.

Visions '89 assembled students of different minority groups from colleges around the Northeast. The conference, sponsored by the minority clearinghouse the Harvard Foundation, sought to to forge coalitions between minority groups based on common needs.

As part of Black History Month, other Ivy League schools have already begun forming such coalitions. Despierta Boricua, a Puerto Rican students group at Yale, will feature two talks in celebration of Black History Month. And at Cornell, Asian-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans will each sponsor a month highlighting their culture, said Donald Wade, an executive with Cornell's Black Students United.

The Despierta Boricua celebration will focus on the common heritage of Blacks and Puerto Ricans, said Richard Figueroa, co-chair of the organization.

"For the Puerto Rican students here it's a chance to recognize their African heritage," said Figueroa.

While Harvard students and administrators saidthey believed such efforts are a good idea, somewarned that the celebrations could be seen assubstitutes for real coalitons.

Assistant Dean for Race Relations and MinorityAffairs Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle said recognizingthe accomplishments of different minority groupsshould not replace efforts to unite the groupsthemselves. themselves.

"I value Black History Month a lot," saidHernandez-Gravelle. "It's good to celebrateethnicity and heritage, but I would not want tosee it happen at the expense of the coalitions,but in addition to the coalitions.

But Harvard students said that unless minoritygroups share their culture with otherminorities--and with non-minoritystudents--coalitions are not likely to work well.

Carlos R. Perez '91, a member of the Razasteering committee, echoed Visions '89's keynotespeaker Samuel Betances when he said that minoritygroups must communicate better and respect eachother's diversity.

"I think there has to be more increasedcommunication between the groups," Perez said. "Wehave to complement each other...for example havinga Chicano group celebrating Black History Month ora Black group celebrating Cinco de Mayo day."

At Harvard, however, the emphasis is on moretraditional Black History Month observances, withseveral events planned by the Black Students'Association (BSA).

"We want to illuminate the contributions andachievements of Afro-American as well as therichness and diversity of our culture andhistory," said BSA President Robert L. Henry '90.

A special committee of the BSA has assembled acalendar of events for the month. The BlackHistory Committee has scheduled movies like theCivil Rights documentary Eyes on the Prize,invited speakers like WBZ-TV's anchor Liz Walkerand planned meals with Black faculty andadministrators