Ali Discusses Race Relations

A group of 35 students met in Cabot House's Private Dining Room last night to discuss race-relations issues in reaction to an article by Zaheer R. Ali '94 in last week's Independent, "Fear of A Black Quad."

The discussion, moderated by Julian Chang, race relations tutor at Cabot House, began with Ali's explanation of the origin of the ideas central to his article.

"Why should a student feel that living in the Quad is making a political statement, or taking away from someone else's education?" Ali said.

A decision to live in the Quad may be made for personal reasons, such as a desire to be "away from the hustle and bustle of the Square," Ali said.

Alynda D. Wheat '96 also said she saw "more of a comfort issue than a Black issue." But other Black students said they chose to live in the Quad because they wanted to live with other Black students.

The discussion also addressed Ali's article in the Independent. Some students felt that Ali had unfairly characterized all non-Blacks as holding the racist views he satirized in his article.

Ali said he merely represented views which he knew existed, not intending to imply that all people in the Quad felt this way.

"I can understand how people could feel I came across saying something in particular about the Quad, but I wasn't," Ali said.

Many students seemed concerned by widespread reaction to the article. Harvard students reacted to having many Blacks in the Quad by asserting a greater need for randomization, some students said, but did not similarly react when seeing a preponderance of artistic types or academic types in other Houses.

Tameka D. Duncan '93 said many Harvard students falsely conceived Harvard as a place free from racial problems. "I don't think Harvard is a particularly special or understanding place," she said.

Ali also said, "I personally believe no one is immune from racism."

Ali further commented on his "frustration" that in race relations the onus repeatedly fell upon members of the Black, Asian and Hispanic communities to "initiate the dialogue."

Ali asked for a greater effort from white students in interracial interaction. "I would put that challenge out. White students who wish to fight racism should organize," Ali said.

Students also discussed the limitations of mere statistical diversity. "Is it enough to have the numbers and not have us talking to each other?" Nana Y. Twum-Danso '94 asked.

"I am more concerned with the quality of interaction than with the quantity of interaction," Ali said.