(After the assassination of Martin Luther King last April, the Faculty set up a special committee to study the problems of black students at Harvard and the role of Afro-American Studies in the Harvard curriculum. In January, the committee finally released its report. It urged the Faculty to set up a degree program in Afro-American Studies, and the Faculty voted on February 11 to approve the plan. Selected sections of the Rosovsky Report dealing with the Afro-American Studies program follow. Deleted clauses refer to criteria for selecting Faculty, expansion of Afro-American-oriented courses in established departments, and development of an Afro-American Studies research center.)

A Program for Harvard

IN OUR opinion, the status quo with respect to Afro-American Studies at Harvard is not satisfatcory. Quite a number of courses recognize the existence of black men in the development of America; quite a bit of expertise is already available. However, merely recognizing black men as integral segements of certain overall social processes is not good enough. We are dealing with 25 million of our own people with a special history, culture, and range of problems.

It can hardly be doubted that the study of black men in America is a legitimate and urgent academic endeavor. If is be so and if we are determined to launch this field of study successfully, farsighted goals and programs are required. These goals and programs should maintain and even raise academic standards; should have meaning for all serious students--black and white. We believe that the path proposed by us conforms to these standards.

Goals

We recommend that the University commit itself to the following goals with regard to Afro-American Studies:

1) Development of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Afro-American Studies.

2) Appointment of new faculty members--term, tenure, and visiting--in Afro-American Studies and other degree-granting programs within the University to conduct these degree programs and offer appropriate courses.

3) Greater emphasis on the experience of Afro-Americans in courses offered by Departments and Committees.

4) Stimulation of increased research in Afro-American Studies, throughout the University.

5) The establishment of a research center or institute concerned with Afro-American Studies.

6) Generation of funds to achieve these goals and others which will emerge over time.

Recommended Action

In order to implement these goals, we urge the following actions, to be undertaken immediately:

1) Appointment of a standing Faculty Committee on Afro-American Studies and budgeting of funds to implement the program development activities outline below.