A learning opportunity is at hand

Anger, insult, outrage, disgust and disappointment are just a few of the emotions that I experienced upon seeing the caricature of the black person in the affirmative action comic in the Feb. 5, 2003 issue of the IDS. The comic was reminiscent of an earlier era in America in which cartoonists depicted blacks in some of the most negative and stereotypical images imaginable. At worst, the depiction was racist and, at best, the decision to run it reflected a high level of racial insensitivity on the part of IDS staff. No matter what position one takes relative to the decision to run the comic, by doing so the IDS reinforced the widely held view in many quarters of the African-American community that the Bloomington campus is a hostile place for African-Americans and other underrepresented minorities. One African-American student who is graduating this May put it this way, "During my four years at IU, Ben Smith, the White Supremacist, shot the place up; the IDS ran a full-page anti-reparations ad by David Horowitz; the Benton Murals garnered national media attention; and now the IDS runs a comic demeaning blacks. What's next?" What I find interesting is the silence of my fellow faculty and administrative colleagues surrounding the issue of affirmative action generally and the recent ad in particular. I can hear the refrain now, "this is a free speech issue." Since when did free speech give one person or newspaper the right to denigrate an entire race of people?\nThe decision by the IDS to run the comic notwithstanding, affirmative action is a far more complex and significant concept than test scores. At its most basic level, affirmative action was conceived as a vehicle for expanding job and educational opportunities for those who have been historically un-represented, as well as those underrepresented. While blacks have benefited from affirmative action, clearly the greatest beneficiary has been the American people. Moreover, a careful and objective analysis of the data will show that white women have made significant gains under affirmative action policies, as have persons who are physically handicapped, older Americans, gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Make no mistake about it, white privilege and legalized racism has provided the foundation for the election and appointment of whites to positions of leadership in all spheres of society.\nWhat we have here is a teachable moment. As an educational institution, Indiana University, including the IDS, has the opportunity to fully examine all aspects of an issue of great social, political and economic consequence to all Americans. The question is will we seize the opportunity?