Cyr said "there is a cultural gap between the white press and the Black community."

The Cambridge Civic Association (CCA)--the city's left-wing political group--contends the issue is one of ethics, not of race.

"Ken has made much greater use of city dollars on discretionary items than any mayor has in the past," said R. Philip Dowds, CCA president. "I think it's time to pull out all the credit cards and all the receipts."

The Chronicle agrees. Its editor suggests that the accusations of racism are being used to place the mayor in the role of victim.

The mayor, Breneman says, "rises to the status of martyr in the eyes of many if the only voice that raises questions about the way he spends the taxpayers' money gets labeled with the r-word."

The Future

The question of Reeves' political future is uncertain, and his relations with the other eight councillors and with a still sympathetic public will be important issues in the upcoming weeks.

Monday's meeting nearly resulted in a shouting match between Reeves and Councillor Jonathan S. Myers, who has called on the mayor to account for his credit-card expenditures.

Indeed, the Monday rally was inspired, its organizers say, by a resolution Myers proposed that requested City Manager Robert W. Healy to provide a public accounting of the school committee over payment.

That proposal was sent to the council's ordinance committee.

Despite the rally's display of political strength, it remains uncertain whether Cantabrigians will see the new questions surrounding Reeves' income-tax payments in 1992, and the more than $30,000 he received in school committee overpayments over the last two years, as the pokings of muckrakers or as issues of ethical impropriety.

Some of Reeves' supporters maintain that the mayor's support is rock-solid.

"He provides a level of leadership that really matters to people, really resolves problems and provides a voice to an underclass in this city, that has never had a voice," Cyr said.

But other supporters say the mayor's future is less secure. "It'll just reinforce people's prejudices," Le said of the media reports. "The mere allegation of impropriety is enough for your average citizen," he said