BSA Up in Arms After Mansfield Comment

In response to Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield's '53 recent comment that an influx of black students in the 1970s is connected to grade inflation at Harvard, the Black Students' Association (BSA) announced at its general meeting on Friday its intention to take Mansfield to task.

BSA President Aaliyah N. Williams '02 called on the University to censure Mansfield for his comments.

"The University has not done anything in the way of censuring him," Williams said. "For an institution that says it values diversity so much...they should walk the walk instead of just talking it."

The BSA is planning a sit-in at Mansfield's Government 1061: "The History of Modern Political Philosophy" lecture tomorrow and an editorial submission to The Crimson.

"There's a lot of anger in the black community right now and we want to channel that anger in a positive way," said BSA Treasurer Brandon A. Gayle '03, who is coordinating BSA's response to Mansfield.

"What's very upsetting to people is the claim that Mansfield is making, that there's some inferiority between blacks and whites as far as academics are concerned," Gayle said. "I think he needs to be confronted about this directly."

BSA officers are also scheduled to meet with Assistant Dean of the College David B. Fithian today to determine whether the College deans will take any action against Mansfield and how BSA can best approach Mansfield. In addition, BSA members will be meeting with Mansfield sometime this week.

Mansfield, a long-time critic of grade inflation and affirmative action, said professors' roles as academic cheerleaders and self-esteem boosters has lowered academic standards at Harvard and other educational institutions.

In particular, Mansfield said, "White professors were unwilling to give black students Cs to avoid giving them a rough welcome [in the early 1970s]. At the same time they didn't give Cs to white students to be fair."

While Mansfield said yesterday that his comments were intended as a censure of the white professors in the 1970s and not against the black students themselves, several students said the distinction was irrelevant.

"Regardless of what [Mansfield] meant, his comments discredit the efforts of African-Americans who came [to Harvard] and worked so hard," said Williams. "I don't want the efforts of those students to be questioned."

Others, calling Mansfield's remarks "offensive" and "unsubstantiated," noted Mansfield's history of making similar comments and suggested that Mansfield was back-pedaling on his statements.

While BSA officers said they would like an apology from Mansfield, they said they would also like to see a response on the part of the administration beyond simple verbal criticism.

Several administrators have stated their disagreement with Mansfield. Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 criticized Mansfield's statements in an e-mail.

"It is irresponsible for him to make this broad and divisive claim without providing a shred of evidence to support it," Lewis wrote.