At the time of the meetings, a College officialsuggested that a liaison between police andstudents be appointed, but that recommendationnever materialized. Instead, the administrationproduced a videotape which featured skits andconversations to serve as a guide for properpolice-student interaction.

Ali says he thought relations had improvedafter the making of the videotape. But heexpressed surprise at learning that the Ntshangaarrest took place in December 1992-just a fewmonths, after police had promised to be moresensitive in race-related cases.

"There is a lag time, but it still reveals thatfor something like this to happen in December1992, the same year of the L.A. uprising, the sameyear of the 'Harvard Plantation,' the same yearwhen you had members of the police affirming totreat students equally...it just surprises me thatthey would still act in this fashion in thatcontext."

'Clamishness'

Ali says he troubled by the University'stendency to protect the police when studentscomplain of harassment.

"I am further disturbed by the seeming aboutprotecting the police." Ali says.

That may be why students like George Fatheree'97 and David Brown '97, who each say they havebeen harassed by police this semester, don't taketheir complaints to the University.

Epps says he is working to improve thesituation. The dean and the BSA have organized aforum at the Institute of Politics of April 20 todiscuss tensions between Black students andpolice.

But Harvard's history of dealing withharassment allegations just dosen't inspire muchconfidence in Black students.

"It seemed like everyone had a story," Ali saysof the dozens of student complaints he has heard."Everyone had something where they felt they werebeing mistreated because they were Black andHispanic.