House Tutors to Advise On Race Relations

Houses will soon have tutors specifically trained to help students deal with the problems of race relations, according to Assistant Dean for Race Relations Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle, who is also the director of the Race Relations Advisory Committee.

Hernandez-Gravelle and Leverett House Master John E. Dowling '57 said that starting next year, house masters will ask tutors to voluteer for training at a workshop on race relations given by Hernandez-Gravelle in the fall.

Such tutors, said Dowling, will advise students involved in harassment incidents or general race relation issues. If the problems are serious enough, Dowling said, the tutors can refer the issues to the masters or senior tutors for more formal action.

Dowling and Hernandez-Gravelle also said they hoped the tutors will get involved in planning workshops, speakers and movies that deal with racial issues.

"I hope the tutors will assume initiative and be proactive as well as reactive," said Dowling.

Dowling, who is on the Race Relations Advisory Committee, first suggested the idea of race relations tutors at a meeting of the house masters three weeks ago.

"They all welcomed the idea and are in the process of finding volunteers," said Dowling. "It would be effective and important to have someone in the houses to whom students can talk to if they feel they have encountered harassment."

Dowling cited the success of designating tutors to deal with sexual harassment, begun this year, as an example of how well house-based advising on such issues can work.

"The masters and senior tutors are available to talk to, but often students feel that a talk with them is more formal than they would like," Dowling said.

This spring, "Racism 101," a movie about racial incidents at the University of Michigan, was shown at Winthrop House. Because more than 200 people attended that movie despite little advertising, Dowling said he believed students are aware of race relations issues and are interested in learning more about them.

Dowling said Leverett House already has two volunteers among its tutors for next year. One of them, Sheryl Dorsey, has spent time studying issues of race relations and worked at the National Research Council on a study of the role of Blacks in twentieth century America, Dowling said.