To the Editors of The Crimson:
In his letter to The Crimson (April 9, 1980), Nathan Berkovitz levels the all-too-familiar criticism that Blacks are "over-reaction," implicitly, wildly and irrationally, to conditions on this campus and in the community at large. Berkovitz cites four instances in an attempt to back up his claims; each one reveals, however, not Black overreaction, but Berkovitz's insensitivity to racial injustice.
First, he maintains that Emeka Ezera's arrest and trial were not cases of "blatant racism." Facts refute this contention. Emeka was arrested solely on the basis of a white woman's accusation that he stole her purse. Yet the description she gave of the accused prior to ever seeing Emeka did not even resemble Emeka's actual physical characteristics, except of course, that he is Black. That this woman has a problem distinguishing one Black man from another became painfully obvious during the trial. Claiming that she had seen had seen the thief earlier in the courtroom, she then proceeded, on counsel's advice, to walk through the courtroom looking at each Black man to see if she could pin the blame on one of them. Not surprisingly, she could not assure herself that the "thief" was present.
The trial itself was indeed a sham. Four times the woman was asked if she could identify Emeka as the person who stole her purse; four times she refused. Why, after the first refusal, was the case not immediately dismissed? Why was this woman not even present at the arraignment to identify the accused? Why do our courts occupy time with such ludicrous cases? Perhaps race, after all, has something to do with this phenomenon. Certainly everyone who was in court that day (Nathan Berkovitz, incidentally, was not) to support Emeka left with the feeling that racism had thoroughly infiltrated the judicial system. Emeka was acquitted, yes; but how many Blacks, who do not go to Harvard, who cannot pack the courtroom, who cannot obtain prestigious character witnesses, who cannot afford a good lawyer, land in jail because of the biases of our system of rule?
Berkovitz's second example of Black overreaction is the capitalization of the word, "Black." "Black," however, is not capitalized to draw attention to the fact that Blacks have been oppressed and are still being oppressed, and to demonstrate that being Black is something to be proud of, not something to be ashamed of which, unfortunately in our racist culture, is often the association that is made with the word "black." (See Burgest, David. "The Racist Use of the English Language," in Black Scholar, September 1973).
Third, Berkovitz asserts that the demand for ethnic studies is another overreaction. But in our much-vaunted Core Curriculum, and in this entire University, where are the histories, cultures and perspectives of Blacks, Chicanos, Boricuans, Latin Americans, Asian American, Native Americans and women given adequate (or even cursory) attention? This condition is shameful; to child those discriminated against for alerting us to their discrimination does not seem to me to be the best way to correct that condition.
Fourth, Berkovitz mentions the protest of the Levine appointment of Afro-American Studies. The participants of that protest recognize that they may have been acting on the basis of some misinformation. Nonetheless, the essence of the protest is unimpeachable. Generally, Blacks called for self-determination of their own education. Specifically, they demanded a Black chair of Afro-Am, and the rehiring of Ephraim Isaac, whom the federal government has found a victim of the University's discriminatory employment practices.
Berkovitz closes his letter with a lament that the "true" needs of Black students are not met by their alleged overreaction. Berkovitz might do himself good to acquaint himself with Black people, Black concerns and Black needs before he assumes to speak for their "true needs." His insensitivity, though, is not atypical. Having spent four years at this campus, I find it impossible not to conclude that the chasm between Blacks and whites here owes much more to white insensitivity (re: racism) than to any Black "overreaction." Matthew Rothschild
