King's Efforts, 20 years Later

To the Editors of The Crimson:

As I begin my journey as a new staff member of Harvard College, I'm stimulated to reflect on Martin Luther King's efforts very differently than I viewed them 20 years ago.

Twenty years ago my memories of America's social temperature kept me in a feverish, high pitch of militant social protest. I led my vocalizing of that anger by expounding on the African Americans' bleak past as the target of tar burnings, rape, castrations, assasinations and the rest.

These reminders of America's socially unjust foundation gave me no hope that our future as African Americans would hold any great strides in the struggle for freedom from social, economic and political oppression. With these thoughts, and everyday reminders of gross inhumanity, my higher self ignites my personal flame of hope that divine intervention and positive cross-cultural exchanges will constantly promote courage among those of different cultures and color to share the abundant beauty of the likeness within their contrast.

Here at Harvard, I don't have to peer far of deep to see sincere concern and efforts among faculty, staff and students struggling to keep alive within themselves the strength to love. As an African-American man new to the Harvard community but old to the family of world harmony and peace, I see that we have something special here at Harvard, miles ahead of the rest. I know that problems may exist of major proportions among people of color wanting their struggle to live on, and rightly it should, but I'm not looking for the negative. But there was a time. Arthur N. Robinson IV   Library Security   Cabot Science Library