Kaufman Piece showed Racism

The comes in response to a disturbing editorial written by Joshua A. Kaufman ('All Pfucked Up," Dartboard, Apr. 8 1995) regarding campus housing. Mr. Kaufman embodies the very racism and ignorance that cause so many Black students to seek company amongst themselves. To describe the Quad as a ghetto merely because a larger proportion of Black Students resides there blatantly reveals the fact that racism is still a prevent force on this campus. The denotation of ghetto is a neighborhood dominated by some ethnic minority group. the fact of the matter is that whites and Asians far outnumber any group in the Quad. By ignoring this fact, Kaufman intentionally appeals to the negatively connotative meaning of the word, "ghetto." People's insecurities and fears about being around a large group of Black people are evidence by those who feel "Pfucked" up for being Quadded. These fears are fueled further by irresponsible journalism on the part of individuals such as Kaufman.

Kaufman implies that Black students flock to the Quad only to be around other Blacks. He implies that Blacks choose to segregate them selves, which in turn will cause hostile racial housing areas. This argument is clearly ridiculous. I once thought that Kaufman, and people like him, did not think that black students simply wanted to live amongst friends who happened to be Black. This is the same reason why white students here choose to live where they live. They want to be around friends, who usually are white. Yet, I believe that Kaufman realizes the truth of this point but chooses to attack such rational decisions due to his own racist tendencies. He also proves that randomization is not geared to benefit Black as well as white students. By seeking to break up groups of black students, some proponents of randomization seek to calm the irrational, unfounded fears of white students. The Black students of Harvard-Radcliffe refuse to be blamed for whites fears. Racist white jounralism, so-called scientific investigation and pseudo-intellectualism are the causes of these fears.

Even if we were to believe for a second that Blacks purposely self-segregate (which is proven false by the large number of Blacks living in the river Houses), it must be acknowledged that white students have the comfort of living around other white students regardless of what house in which they live. Why aren't' Black and Latinos allowed that same comfort? After all, Blacks and Latinos have more reason than whites to want to self-segregate due to undying white racism present on this campus and in every stage of our lives.

What is frustrating about the endless editorials and news reports about Black self-segregation is that they are all unfounded. It is shameful that white first-years can enjoy the excitement of finding out in which house they will be living without being attacked by racist jounralists while black first-years must defend their choices. Blacks who choose to live around their friends who are Black have not done anything wrong. World peace, according to Kaufman's ludicrous analogy, is not dependent on where Black or white Harvard and Radcliffe students choose to live. If Whites feel uncomfortable living around Blacks and Latinos, this is their fault and not ours. We will not accept the blame for their insecurities. Further, the history of the United State and the world has shown the opposite. Blacks and Latinos have had more reason to fear hostility from a large group of whites, rather than the other way around. Victoria Kennedy '97   Kristen Clarke '97