Guinier Breaks a Long Silence

After two weeks of silence since the release of a special Afro-American Review Committee report, Ewart Guinier '33, chairman of the Afro-American Studies Department, hit hard at the report this week. Guinier called the drafters of the report "nincompoops" and said that the Harvard Administration "is busy cooking up all sorts of maneuvers to handcuff" his Department.

In the first blast at a conference at Cornell last Sunday, Guinier attacked what he termed Administration "shenanigans" and "skullduggery."

"Instead of putting the best minds at Harvard in the Administration to find ways to help our Department carry out its mandates, the Administration is busy cooking up all sorts of maneuvers to handcuff us, put chains around our legs, and tell us 'run, so we can laugh at you'," he said.

Speaking at the Afro-American Cultural Center later in the week. Guinier charged that "only the ignorant could dare say that an Afro-American Studies Department should not teach African history." He was referring to the Review Committee recommendation that the Department de-emphasize African history.

During that same speech. Guinier said that he had "not had time to read the report" but that he hoped "to get around to it someday," The Administration has not yet replied to Guinier's remarks.