New Committee to Investigate Divinity School's Black Studies

Preston N. Williams, acting dean of the Divinity School, yesterday announced the formation of a committee to evaluate black studies at the Divinity School.

The purpose of the eight-man committee is to "find out how we are doing" in satisfying a need for black studies, Williams said. He added that "no major problem lies behind the review."

The committee will be chaired by Benjamin F. Payton, a member of the Divinity School's Visiting Committee and officer in charge of minority programs in the Ford Foundation's Higher Education and Research Office.

Payton said yesterday that the committee will make its report to Williams and the Divinity School faculty "no later than April 15th," and probably would begin meeting "within the next few weeks."

Lorraine Karz of the Divinity School News Office said there has been, "a general feeling that there is not enough in the curriculum to satisfy blacks."

Karz said that although the committee was Williams's idea, the committee members will decide their own approach.

Payton said that he had just accepted the chairmanship, and had not yet communicated with the other committee members.

Arrangements for meetings have not been made but Payton said that each time the review committee will meet, "for a period of time...no less than one full day, probably more."

Payton said that he is "not certain" about the scope of the report, but he assumes that the group will report to Williams and the Divinity School faculty.

Williams also appointed John Harwell, senior tutor of Mather House, to the committee. Williams said that Harwell "knows about community and religious problems for blacks." He said Harwell has "expertise in financial matters."

Williams said that the committee members are not being paid, and that there are no plans for funding.

Other committee members include: Charles Adams of the Hartford Ave. Baptist Church in Detroit; Jean Fairfax, a NAACP administrator in New York; Rev. William Guy, pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta and Rev. Otis Moss of the Mt. Zoin Baptist Church near Cincinnati. Adams and Guy are alumni of the Divinity School.