This article was a group project. It was researched by several Nieman Fellows and written by Mike McGrady.)

Social Sciences 5, Harvard's first and only course in black history, was conceived in tragedy and born--perhaps prematurely -- in an atmosphere of crisis. And now, less than two months after its first class meeting, there is some question whether the infant course will, or even should, survive.

The course, rising from the anguish following the murder of the Rev. Martin Luther King, has been swaddled in controversy since its beginning. The attack, for the most part, comes from black students complaining of white lecturers, white textbooks and white outlook. Defenders of the course are willing to concede the possibility of a misstep but maintain that it is at least a misstep in the right direction.

A Starting Point

And direction is ultimately what is at stake here. Social sciences 5, officially catalogued as "The Afro-American Experience," is only a starting point. It is the first black course offered by Harvard; there will be others. How many others, what shape they will take, when they will appear -- these are matters that will be influence by the success or failure of this pilot course.

What seems likely at this point: the Faculty Committee on Afro-American and African Studies will soon recommend that Harvard begin the blue-printing for a wide range of black-oriented courses. And what seems equally likely: the committee will not recommend that Harvard offer a Concentration in Afro-American studies.

The attack from black students many of them freshmen, has prompted the Ad Hoc Committee of Black Students to announce it will prepare a critique of the course. These are some of the charges that will be aired:

* The instructorial staff headed by Frank Freidel, professor of History, brings a white complexion to black subjects. Says Wanda Williams, '72: "As the course now stands it is hardly relevant to black students because we're still seeing history through the white man's eyes." Adds one junior: "The real problem is that Freidel devotes all his time to refuting prejudices his audience does not hold. The lecture series might better be called, 'Negro Heroes I Have Known'--it consists of black equivalents of the George Washington cherry tree tale."

A Black Perspective

* Martin Kilson, member of the teaching staff, is not black enough. Says Clyde Lindsay, '69: "Professor Kilson will have to put some emotion in his lectures to let the students know that he has a perspective from which they can view the black man's historical experience in a light perhaps many of them have not considered." A letter to the Crimson from Jeffrey P. Howard, '69, adds this thought: "It should be clear from this point forward that Kilson's views are not particularly black -- he seems to have much more in common with his old-line colleagues in the Government Department than with us."

* The course is to anecdotal in nature. Says Clarence James, "72: "Lectures consist of sitting around and telling stories which may be interesting but most often are unreal." Adds Ray Hammond, '70: "There should be more concentration on student participation. Lecturers should leave 15 minutes after each talk for questions to clarify points and, in some cases, to correct the lecturer."

* The course is too objective; it should strive to generate heat as well as light. Say Rip Smith, '72: "I thought it would give us a black, subjective viewpoint. Adding more subjectivity to the work would improve it....The subjective concept would give whites more insight into why blacks act as they do today. Perhaps it could explain why Negroes are seeking a greater voice in determining their own identity."

The complaints have not gone unanswered. Perhaps the most succinct response has come from Kilson, assistant professor of government, who terms the courses "racially bigoted and disgustingly anti-intellectual." In a letter to the Crimson, Kilson made this point: "Blissfull unaware that their bigoted and paranoid outlook makes shambles of scholarship and learning, the black critics of Social Sciences 5 seek to reduce the course to a platform for black nationalistic propaganda."

Other faculty members point out that the situation is by no means unique to Harvard. The black courses rushed this year from the drawing boards to the classrooms of other universities, most notably Yale and Cornell, have aroused similar complaints from black students.

Wanted: A Place