"Every gain Third World students have made here has come about because of direct political pressure," Georgia Hill '81, a member of the student organization trying to establish a Third World center on campus, told an open forum on the center last night.
Hill, the last of five panelists to address an audience of about 50 people, urged students to continue organizing and educating others in order to rally support for the center.
After a slide show, LeRoy Collins '81, a member of the committee formed last spring by President Bok to investigate the possibility of a center, outlined the student model for a center, saying it would enhance the University's academic environment and address the alienation felt by many minority students.
Ewart Guinier '33, professor of Afro-American Studies Emeritus and first chairman of the Afro-Am Department, recalled the discrimination he encountered as an undergraduate and called on students to work vigorously for a center.
"You face a tough job, but it's a job that has to be done," Guinier said.
Constance Rice '78, a University admissions officer, stressed the need for a physical facility where "Third World students can interact as non-minorities." Susan Williams '77, a third-year student at the Law School and a Native American, said part of the difficulty for minority students stemmed from a lack of role models.
The Third World Students Organization set up the forum as the latest in its series of efforts to increase support for a campus center. The committee investigating the center is expected to submit a recommendation to Bok by January 1.
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