Dean Apologizes For Response To `Spade' Flyer

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 apologized yesterday for what he called his "inadequate response" to a flyer posted by member of the conservative journal Peninsula last week.

In a letter addressed to all members of the Harvard community, Jewett said that a statement issued by this office last week on the matter "did not adequately acknowledge the high level of hurt, outrage and frustration which the poster caused for Black people and others in this community."

Jewett, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, said in the letter that his response to Peninsula had not been strong enough.

"The poster clearly contained racist language and in general was so offensive that it should be totally unacceptable to the Harvard community," the letter reads.

Jewett also placed a half-page ad in today's Crimson in order to publicize the letter.

But Chris G. Vergonis '92, senior council member of Peninsula, released a statement to the Crimson yesterday in which he said Jewett's letter neglected the intent of the flyer and the symposium.

"We were not promoting racial stereotypes; we were attacking them," the statement says. "We explained it to [Jewett], and he said he understood."

And in an interview, Vergonis sug- gested that Jewett's letter might dividedHarvard community.

"By portraying us as something we're not, he'spolarizing the community and I can't see how thatcould promote racial harmony," Vergonis said.

The new letter goes farther than the statementissued last week by Jewett's Dean of StudentsArchie C. Epps III and Assistant Dean for RaceRelations and Minority Affairs HildaHernandez-Gravelle. In that letter, the deansacknowledge the magazine's right to free speech,but called the language in the Peninsulaposter "offensive, hurtful and insensitive to thefeelings of Black students."

The flyer, which was posted in Cabot and MatherHouse two weeks ago, advertised a symposium heldlast Wednesday entitled "Spade Kicks: A symposiumon Modernity and the Negro as a Paradigm of SexualLiberation." The flyer, which showed a picture ofa Black woman performing a striptease for a whiteaudience, was voluntary removed by magazinemembers after some students raised objections.

The symposium went on but, it was marked byheated exchanges between audience members and by awalkout staged by 40 students after one speakerused the word "Negro" 15 times and called sexualliberation the primary cause of the break down ofsome Black families.

Epps said the new letter came out of a meetingheld last Friday Between the three deans,representatives of the president's office andconcerned Black students.

"Dean Jewett felt after that meeting that hewanted to strengthen and sharpen his condemnationof racist language and racial epithets," Eppssaid.

In addition to the letter, Epps said the deanshave planned a series of meetings to discussissues of Black-Jewish relations as well asrelations between Black students and both theHarvard police and The Crimson

"By portraying us as something we're not, he'spolarizing the community and I can't see how thatcould promote racial harmony," Vergonis said.

The new letter goes farther than the statementissued last week by Jewett's Dean of StudentsArchie C. Epps III and Assistant Dean for RaceRelations and Minority Affairs HildaHernandez-Gravelle. In that letter, the deansacknowledge the magazine's right to free speech,but called the language in the Peninsulaposter "offensive, hurtful and insensitive to thefeelings of Black students."

The flyer, which was posted in Cabot and MatherHouse two weeks ago, advertised a symposium heldlast Wednesday entitled "Spade Kicks: A symposiumon Modernity and the Negro as a Paradigm of SexualLiberation." The flyer, which showed a picture ofa Black woman performing a striptease for a whiteaudience, was voluntary removed by magazinemembers after some students raised objections.

The symposium went on but, it was marked byheated exchanges between audience members and by awalkout staged by 40 students after one speakerused the word "Negro" 15 times and called sexualliberation the primary cause of the break down ofsome Black families.

Epps said the new letter came out of a meetingheld last Friday Between the three deans,representatives of the president's office andconcerned Black students.

"Dean Jewett felt after that meeting that hewanted to strengthen and sharpen his condemnationof racist language and racial epithets," Eppssaid.

In addition to the letter, Epps said the deanshave planned a series of meetings to discussissues of Black-Jewish relations as well asrelations between Black students and both theHarvard police and The Crimson