Acknowledging the legacy of slavery

Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Nov 30, 2006 by Mark Whitaker

Brown University represents what moral leadership brings to any arena (see "Brown University Applauded for Examination of Its Ties to Slavery," Nov. 16). President [Ruth] Simmons and the Steering Committee members raise an issue from which America cannot hide--slavery and the legacy of slavery. As we examine so many institutions that profited from the slave trade, we are forced to deal with the reality of wealth creation and transfer. It's ironic that institutions such as Brown, that enriched themselves through the slave trade, have an under-representation of African-Americans both in the student body and on the faculty. This report further exposes the hypocrisy of the American fabric--a fabric woven with injustice, threaded with disparate treatment, needled with racism and sold as justice for all. Brown University truly did the right thing.

--Mark Whitaker

Associate Professor/Assistant Pastor

Hampton University/New Bethel Baptist Church

Portsmouth, Va.