To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

We believe it is time for faculty members, as well as students, to take an explicit stand against racism. The recent wave of vicious attacks on members of the Black Paniher Party is indicative of the oppression and intimidation black people face when they begin to challenge the ways in which they are suppressed and exploited within our present social and economic system. We should support black people against all such attacks.

Here at Harvard students have raised the issues that black people are being denied equal access to jobs on construction sites, and that the job category of "painters' helper" has in effect relegated blacks (and subsequently waites) to a classification in which they earn less money than "painters" for doing the same work.

Whatever the origins of such practices, we think they should immediately be stopped, as they can only serve to promote racism. All "painters' helpers" should be immediately promoted to "painters," and 20 per cent black and other minority group workers should be hired at all levels at Harvard construction sites.

Practices which promote racism can in no way be justified. When the Harvard Administration reacted by defending such practices, action by students and others demanding change was necessary. Therefore we think that none of the black and white students and employees who raised and acted on the above demands should be punished.

While combating racist practices on campus does not immediately protect black people like the Panthers from being attacked elsewhere, it does give us a concrete opportunity to join what will be a very long struggle against the racism that permeates our society.