Placement of Mug Shot Shows Crimson's Racism

We are disgusted by your decision to place the mug shot of the Black male next to the article discussing the increasing rate of matriculation of Black students to the Class of 1997 (May 12, 1993, p. 5). The positioning of these two articles implies an unwarranted correlation between the increase of minority students and crime on campus. This poor choice of layout reflects an insensitivity to the very students that we should be welcoming.

It is also an affront to the entire Harvard community because it demeans our intelligence and ability to recognize stereotypes as unfounded biases and oversimplifications. Incidents such as these reaffirm stereotypes that all Black youth are criminals, not only undermining positive feelings about the increased enrollment of Black students next year, but also increasing racial tension on campus.

The Harvard Crimson is notorious for unjustly linking criminal activity to Black Harvard students. In 1981 The Crimson used pictures of two Black Harvard students and superimposed cell bars over their faces to illustrate a story on the prison system. While this incident provoked protests in the year, it seems The Crimson has failed to change its racist practices more than ten years later. In a year when the academic credibility of minority students has come under attack, it is the final injustice for Blacks to have their basic integrity attacked as well. Kecia N. Boulware '96   Jeff H. Tignor '96

Editor's Note: As stated in the correction that ran May 14, the placement of the two stories was accidental. The Crimson regrets the error.