"Black students have evolved into a system of invertebrates; they have no backbone," S. Allen Counter, associate professor of Biology, said last night in a speech on the history of Afro-Americans at Harvard during the past ten years.

"We must try to bring attention to issues which are immediately pertinent to the black community," Counter said.

"Politically I have seen retardation," Counter said, adding, "Harvard black students should not be academically brilliant and politically retarded."

In his two-hour speech--in honor of Black History Month--Counter said advancements made by blacks at Harvard would not have occurred without the protests movements of the '60s.

"Black and white students had shaken the University so hard that it had to hire more blacks," he said.

Racism has increased and the number of black Faculty has dropped since the late '60s and early '70s, he said, adding he believes this trend will continue until black students halt it.

"All you have to do is stand up against these things and demand a change," he said. "When students stand up that means something," he added.

He said students should speak out on issues, write letters to newspapers, college administrative groups and other organizations, expressing their opinions on important issues.

"Not until you begin to flood them with letters will action be taken," he said.

"Media propaganda" is also hurting blacks today, Counter said. He said the press, for example, portrays black students at Harvard as underqualified and only attending the school because of affirmative action.

He added that racial tension often results from this "campaign." He said people see their children being displaced from schools and jobs because of "unqualified blacks" filling these positions and because of affirmative action.

"The propaganda media have turned people so much against blacks it is abusive," he said.

"This is a very serious game," he said. "People are manipulating blacks like you wouldn't believe, and no one is doing anything about it," he added.

"Every black student is important," he said toward the end of his speech, adding, "We are so few that we are forced to realize this importance."