Students Incorporate First NAACP Chapter at University

History was made last night when about 40 students of varied race and ethnicity came together in the Barker Center's Thompson Room to incorporate the first-ever Harvard chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The meeting was the follow-up to a meeting held last week with Julian Bond, the NAACP's national chair. At the earlier meeting, Bond stressed that the NAACP is not just an organization for blacks, and encouraged people of all races to consider membership.

Kamal I. Latham, a student at the Kennedy School of Government (KSG) who was elected president of the Harvard chapter last night, said Bond's opinion prompted him to revise his own notions about the NAACP.

Latham said the organization is different from ethnic organizations on campus simply because "it is not an ethnic organization. It is just the hub of a bicycle wheel. It is for anyone who's interested in the advancement of society and civil rights."

Fentrice D. Driskell '01 agreed. "[The NAACP] is for the advancement of colored people, but not only colored people should be for their advantage," she said.

Driskell said the organization also differs from existing ethnic organizations in that "it's not a social club."

Tawney B. Pearson '01 said she hoped the chapter would also serve as an umbrella organization, connecting related groups in the College and the various graduate schools.

"I think it will take on [the task of a] minority students' alliance throughout the entire University," she said.

Driskell said the chapter will serve as a central group to handle problems which had previously been shuffled between groups.

"These are everybody's problems," she said. "We can't just push them aside as problems of specific groups."

One possible obstacle the chapter faces is the University's refusal to recog- nize nationally affiliated student groups.Hazel T. Edney, moderator of last night's meetingand a KSG student, said the group plans to forgeahead whether or not it is officially recognized.

"This should in no way be construed as anattack on Harvard," she said. "It is an attempt tomake Harvard a better place."

In her opening remarks, Edney cited severalstatistics and recent incidents as evidence ofdiscriminatory policies and mindsets in the Bostonarea and at Harvard.

Roberta D. Edwards, a KSG student who also ranfor chapter president, told the group in herspeech that she was fired from her job at theMetropolitan Boston Transit Association foractively advocating civil rights. She also pointedto hearings held by the Boston City Councilyesterday to reconsider existing affirmativeaction employment programs in the city's fire andpolice departments.

Edwards said the dynamic nature of Harvardmakes its chapter especially likely to be at theforefront of change. "The success of the civilrights movement happens because of the support ofcollege students," she said.

Rev. Jamal Bryant, national youth director forthe NAACP, agreed that the University would loseout on a crucial opportunity by failing to open achapter.

"I think, in that Harvard is allegedly thelamplight of progressive thinking in the nation,to have students forward intellectually andbackward socially would be a grave hypocrisy," hesaid.

Latham said Cambridge's NAACP chapter exists inname only, making the task even tougher--and evenmore essential--for Harvard students.

Chanda K. Ho '01 said she thinks theorganization will pack more clout because of itsmulti-dimensional demographic diversity.

"It's important that you have an organizationthat works to promote social equality and racialjustice not just for a specific ethnic group butfor all people," said Ho, who is Asian American."Because there are grad students involved as wellas undergrads, we will have more resources andwill be able to get more done."

Several students said attendance at lastnight's meeting suffered because it was announcedonly via word of mouth. "I really wish the meetinghad been more publicized so that more undergradscould have been involved," said George S. Han '00.

Han, who is also Asian American, said he foundout about the meeting through an e-mail messagefrom a friend in Harvard-Radcliffe ChristianFellowship who is a member of the Boston NAACPchapter.

The group encountered difficulties when anNAACP official who had promised to attend andensure that procedures were followed got stuck intraffic and never arrived. Because of this, thechapter was granted an extension on filing itscharter until next Wednesday.

Since the group had already exceeded therequisite 25 signatures on its charter, membersvoted to go ahead and elect its officers lastnight without the NAACP official.

In addition to Latham and Edwards, most of thechapter's officers are affiliated with the KSG.

The officers are as follows: Latham, KSG,president; Adrienne R.W. Bradley, KSG, vicepresident of economic justice; Kia J. Coleman,KSG, vice president of press and media relations;Edwards, KSG, vice president of social andcommunity affairs; Janet Peters Mauceri, GraduateSchool of Education, vice president of educationalissues; Reshma M Saujani, KSG, vice president oflegal affairs; Kendra Perkins, KSG, secretary;Byron J. McLain '00, secretary; and Gregory A.Barnes, KSG, parliamentarian/sergeant-at-arms.

If the group is granted official Universityrecognition, Nolan A. Bowie, adjunct lecturer atthe KSG, has agreed to serve as the chapter'sfaculty advisor. Driskell voiced her hope that theorganization will be responsible for real action.

"Minority and racism are becoming buzzwords,"she said. "Instead of acting on them we just talkabout them. The NAACP can help us findcommonalities and move in the direction of trulydismantling racism."

Both Edney and Latham noted the importance of adiverse and inclusive membership body. "We needeveryone's energy and everyone's support," Lathamsaid.

Students interested in joining the chaptershould contact Edney at the Cronkhite GraduateCenter.CrimsonMelissa K. CrockerCALL FOR EQUALITY: KAMAL I. LATHAM, astudent at the Kennedy School of Government, waselected president of the newly formed Harvardchapter of the NAACP at a meeting last night.

"This should in no way be construed as anattack on Harvard," she said. "It is an attempt tomake Harvard a better place."

In her opening remarks, Edney cited severalstatistics and recent incidents as evidence ofdiscriminatory policies and mindsets in the Bostonarea and at Harvard.

Roberta D. Edwards, a KSG student who also ranfor chapter president, told the group in herspeech that she was fired from her job at theMetropolitan Boston Transit Association foractively advocating civil rights. She also pointedto hearings held by the Boston City Councilyesterday to reconsider existing affirmativeaction employment programs in the city's fire andpolice departments.

Edwards said the dynamic nature of Harvardmakes its chapter especially likely to be at theforefront of change. "The success of the civilrights movement happens because of the support ofcollege students," she said.

Rev. Jamal Bryant, national youth director forthe NAACP, agreed that the University would loseout on a crucial opportunity by failing to open achapter.

"I think, in that Harvard is allegedly thelamplight of progressive thinking in the nation,to have students forward intellectually andbackward socially would be a grave hypocrisy," hesaid.

Latham said Cambridge's NAACP chapter exists inname only, making the task even tougher--and evenmore essential--for Harvard students.

Chanda K. Ho '01 said she thinks theorganization will pack more clout because of itsmulti-dimensional demographic diversity.

"It's important that you have an organizationthat works to promote social equality and racialjustice not just for a specific ethnic group butfor all people," said Ho, who is Asian American."Because there are grad students involved as wellas undergrads, we will have more resources andwill be able to get more done."

Several students said attendance at lastnight's meeting suffered because it was announcedonly via word of mouth. "I really wish the meetinghad been more publicized so that more undergradscould have been involved," said George S. Han '00.

Han, who is also Asian American, said he foundout about the meeting through an e-mail messagefrom a friend in Harvard-Radcliffe ChristianFellowship who is a member of the Boston NAACPchapter.

The group encountered difficulties when anNAACP official who had promised to attend andensure that procedures were followed got stuck intraffic and never arrived. Because of this, thechapter was granted an extension on filing itscharter until next Wednesday.

Since the group had already exceeded therequisite 25 signatures on its charter, membersvoted to go ahead and elect its officers lastnight without the NAACP official.

In addition to Latham and Edwards, most of thechapter's officers are affiliated with the KSG.

The officers are as follows: Latham, KSG,president; Adrienne R.W. Bradley, KSG, vicepresident of economic justice; Kia J. Coleman,KSG, vice president of press and media relations;Edwards, KSG, vice president of social andcommunity affairs; Janet Peters Mauceri, GraduateSchool of Education, vice president of educationalissues; Reshma M Saujani, KSG, vice president oflegal affairs; Kendra Perkins, KSG, secretary;Byron J. McLain '00, secretary; and Gregory A.Barnes, KSG, parliamentarian/sergeant-at-arms.

If the group is granted official Universityrecognition, Nolan A. Bowie, adjunct lecturer atthe KSG, has agreed to serve as the chapter'sfaculty advisor. Driskell voiced her hope that theorganization will be responsible for real action.

"Minority and racism are becoming buzzwords,"she said. "Instead of acting on them we just talkabout them. The NAACP can help us findcommonalities and move in the direction of trulydismantling racism."

Both Edney and Latham noted the importance of adiverse and inclusive membership body. "We needeveryone's energy and everyone's support," Lathamsaid.

Students interested in joining the chaptershould contact Edney at the Cronkhite GraduateCenter.CrimsonMelissa K. CrockerCALL FOR EQUALITY: KAMAL I. LATHAM, astudent at the Kennedy School of Government, waselected president of the newly formed Harvardchapter of the NAACP at a meeting last night.