Exclusion of Whites From DuBois Lecture Termed Official Violation

The Commission of Inquiry yesterday issued its report concerning the exclusion of between 50 and 100 whites from a lecture at Sanders Theater Jan. 21-and concluded that such an action violates the Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities.

The lecture was given by Shirley Graham DuBois-widow of W.E.B. DuBois '88-and sponsored by the Afro-American Studies Department.

However, the commission will not initiate any disciplinary actions against those involved in the exclusion, since it is an investigative body and does not have any disciplinary jurisdiction.

It did submit its conclusions to the Faculty Council, which endorsed the commission's judgment at its regular meeting Wednesday.

Roger Rosenblatt, chairman of the Commission, explained that there was no formal reason for submitting the policy recommendation to the Faculty Council. But the commission felt that endorsement by a representative Facul-ty group was important on such a sensitive issue, he said.

Rosenblatt described the commission as a "trouble-shooter. What we're trying to do is make honest and independent evaluations of the facts involved in the cases presented to us, and make what we hope are fair policy recommendations," he said.

During the last week in January, the commission received seven written complaints, each alleging that whites had been excluded from the lecture, which was advertised as open to the public.

However, about eight blacks, alternating at the entrances to Sanders, prevented whites from entering the hall, saying that the lecture was open only to Afro society members and their guests.

The commission wrote to Professor Ewart Guinier, chairman of the Afro-American Studies Department, on Jan. 25, asking for his understanding of the facts surrounding the incident and of the policies involved.

Guinier responded in a letter which the commission received Feb. 9, stating that he could offer no information beyond what the commission already knew. However, as chairman of the department, he expressed his opposition to "all exclusionary policies by the University."

The commission report states that "although no additional factual information was forthcoming, the commission concluded, on the basis of the consistency of the several complaints received, that discrimination by certain individuals did indeed occur at the DuBois lecture."

"What we're most concerned about is the prevention of future incidents," Rosenblatt said. He noted that none of the complainants had named specific individuals in their written complaints.

Rosenblatt added that "in the future, if anyone is prohibited from attending a public meeting on the basis of color or sex, that person will know that it's a violation of the Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities, and can act through the CRR."