Narcisse also condemned the slow administrative response to an article published in the Standard last fall, in which a Government professor spoke of unqualified minorities in the graduate student body.

Narcisse concluded his remarks by citing an Ethiopian proverb: "He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured."

The final speaker of the night was Hillaird, who focused on the discrepancies that hinder "safe" communication about race.

"When we're talking about race, one of the reasons it may appear to be unsafe is that sometimes in the course of conversation different people may be talking about different things," Hillaird said.

According to Hilliard, the racial issue can be broken up into three parts: racism, white skin privilege and low black self-esteem.

She defined racism as discrimination, prejudice and hateful behavior, much like that of the Klu Klux Klan.

Hillaird said that "white skin privilege" is the result of a subtle, but real caste system in America.

"A white person does not have to actively discriminate to enjoy the benefits of being in the privileged class," she said.

Opposing this "casted structure" to American society implies "consciously fighting against something that is very hard to admit," according to Hillaird.

The final problem she identified was low black self-esteem. Hillaird said that this problem was a remnant of slavery and is a problem especially among the poor.

The DuBois Society's next event will be an interdisciplinary graduate student conference called "Race as a Tool," planned for April 13