The Crimson Forgot Race Relations Tutors

To the Editors of The Crimson:

We write to call attention to an institutional resource on racial and ethnic diversity issues which was not mentioned in The Crimson's series of articles last month ("Dealing with Diversity," December 2-5).

Under the auspices of the Office of race Relations and Minority Affairs, directed by Dean Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle, a group of tutors from every house and proctors in the Yard have volunteered and received training to deal with concerns about racial harassment and diversity.

While these tutors are a house-designated resource of advice on incidents of racial harassment and bigotry, they also see their mandate as providing programs to promote the awareness and discussion of issues relating to diversity that are sensitive to the specific dynamics and interests of each community.

Although the Race Relations Tutor program is three years old, we understand that students may not yet be fully informed about it. Yet events held under the auspices of the program, such as the well-attended discussion table at North House reported in The Crimson on December 10, have had an impact on individual residential communities.

We plan a significant expansion of activity in the spring by introducing an undergraduate component to the program.

We commend and share The Crimson's commitment to encouraging the University community to think critically about issues of diversity and the way these are addressed on the administrative level. Like The Crimson editorial staff (December 10), we understand the complexity that diversity in our community can create.

Our program, AWARE, SHARE and others designed and managed by Dean Hernandez-Gravelle have different, well-defined functions, but collectively emphasize student initiative and involvement.

We believe these programs are critical both for providing undergraduates with a range of institutional resources responsive to their individual needs and for ensuring that the difficulties as well as the positive elements of diversity in our University remain highlighted.

We hope that the Race Relations Tutor program can be one useful means to address a set of concerns about diversity which we feel is no more amenable to a single comprehensive solution at Harvard-Radcliffe than it is in American society at large. David M. Mednicoff   Dunster House   Assistant Senior Tutor   For the Race Relations Tutors   Office of Race Relations and Minority Affairs