Mansfield Shouldn't Go Unchallenged

When reading The Crimson's report on grade inflation (January 15), I expected a story which would cover the issue fairly, representing the various views regarding the issue. Instead, we found that "[Professor Harvey] Mansfield said grade inflation at Harvard originated around the 1970s, when Harvard first worked at increasing its Black enrollment." According to Mansfield, "at that time, professors were unwilling to give a C to a Black."

His statement reveals the tired and trite claim by anti affirmative actionists, who argue that standards are lowered in order to accomodate "less qualified" Black students at schools like Harvard. Further, it calls into question his ability to fairly and objectively evaluate the performance of Black students in his classes.

Not only is his statement unsupported by any evidence, but it was unquestionably accepted and printed by The Crimson. Worse than that, Prof. Mansfield's statement has been allowed to stand without question by any member of the college's faculty or administration, indicating a similar and just as, if not even more, dangerous acceptance of his views as being truthful.

While grade inflation may be a phenomenon of the late 1960s and early 1970s--a time when Harvard did witness an increase in attendance by Black students--Mansfield seems to ignore the fact that at that time, Harvard was recruiting not only Black students, but also other underrepresented student populations.

In fact, in their grudge-like (and racist?) targeting of Black students, many anti-affirmative actionists fail to acknowledge that beneficiaries of affirmative action include those groups which were especially prepared and equipped to transform "equal opportunity" into "equal achievement." Hence, not only have some Blacks benefitted from affirmative action, but also white women, Asians, Latinos and Native Americans.

Nevertheless, Mansfield chooses to single out Black students and argue that grade inflation is a result of professors' unwillingness to give Black students C's--presumably the grades we really deserve. He implies that Black students are unable to compete at the same level as other students, and that the grades we receive are not earned like any other hardworking students, but given to us by some benevolent white teaching fellow or professor.

Black students do not receive the grades we do receive because of Harvard's beneficence, but earn our grades in spite of the rampant racism that is nurtured in the classroom by Eurocentric, white supremacist-informed beliefs as those expressed by Mansfield. In many cases, Black students have to work harder and expend more than average effort just to earn average grades from teaching fellows and professors who lack the ability to fairly evaluate our performance.

Not only that, but in addition to being committed to academics, we must also be committed to a struggle against racism outside of the classroom--a struggle which, combined with our fight against curricular racism, makes achieving what we do a testament to our qualifications and abilities not only to "keep up" with, but surpass Harvard's standards.

In not challenging Mansfield's assertions and instead printing them as though Mansfield speaks authoritatively, supported by fact. The Crimson demonstrates questionable journalistic skills. Reporter Judith Dutton failed to question Mansfield, requesting evidence for his allegations, and failed to seek any response from a more authoritative source from within the administration. As a result, Mansfield's statement is allowed to stand as the statement on the issue. This gross oversight is a reflection of the problems of the yet-to-be-diversified Crimson group, which has in the past come under attack for its biased reporting against students of color.

Even more disturbing has been the faculty response: no response. No one has emerged from the faculty or administration to challenge or support Mansfield's comments with any evidence or historical record. Instead, the faculty and administration have stood idly by, while one of its own calls into question the abilities of individuals based on their skin color. All this, while the administration hypocritically proclaims reform in race relations policy, setting up "czars" and others, who have also remained silent.

That it takes student initiative to begin any consideration of this issue demonstrates Harvard's conditioning to accept and acquiesce to racism. It also reflects the degree to which racism at Harvard is institutionalized and cannot be resolved by simply blaming students, student organizations such as the Harvard-Radcliffe Black Student's Association (BSA) and student advocates such as Dr. S. Allen Counter and Dean Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle for the problems in race relations that Harvard seems to witness annually.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Black Students' Association (BSA) demands that the administration respond to Mansfield's comments, either supporting his allegations or denying them, providing solid proof to support either position. In addition, any further review of race relations needs to investigate seriously not only racism at Harvard, but racism in Harvard, examining the institution's role in supporting racism. And since The Crimson is an accomplice in this incident, any review of race relations should once again take a close, and this time thorough, look into the publication's role in butressing racism.

It seems as though we have not progressed since last year. All the meetings, the committees and retreats just served to distract students from any real struggle against racism, while allowing the College to retreat back into its foxhole, avoiding the actual engagement of institutions and media necessary to be victorious over racism. We challenge the College community to engage in such a battle. Zaheer Ali '94   President   Black Students' Association