Book Sparks Campus Debate

mental, physical and spiritual abilities--something which cannot be measured based on Eurocentric standards," said Kristen M. Clarke '97 and Victoria Kennedy '97 in the letter, printed in full on page two of today's Crimson.

Clarke, who is the president of the Black Students Association (BSA) but did not write in the group's name, said those views are not offered as her own.

"This information is not necessarily something we believe," she said, "but some information that we think those persuing a true understanding of the Bell Curve theory should either address, ignore or refute."

Whitney D. Pidot Jr. '96, president of conservative campus publication The Salient, said the views the letter cited did exactly what liberals accuse Herrnstein of doing.

"[The letter's fifth point] doesn't further debate or discourse," he said. "It just furthers animosity with these statements of superiority."

But the issues raised by The Bell Curve seem to have touched a nerve with students on all sides of the question.

The Debate

Many student leaders said the book's conclusions are offensive and inaccurate.

Xavier Gutierrez '95, who is co-president of the Mexican-American student association Raza, said that the book's conclusion "shows that in this day and age people are just trying to prove that genetically, some individuals are inferior to others."

Guiterrez said he hopes the Harvard name doesn't lend the book legitimacy.

"My fear is that such ideas, such concepts and such theories coming from places such as Harvard have really deep ramifications for academic progress and also for the image of Harvard," Guiterrez said.

Alex Cho '96, who is co-president of the Asian American Association, agreed. Acceptance of the work may reflect larger bias in academe, he said.

"It's very ironic that on this campus, when ethnic studies is being discredited as being political and of shoddy scholarship. The Bell Curve is presented as this firm scholarly work proving a ridiculous premise," he said.

Cho questioned the book's reliance on IQ tests as a measure of intelligence.

"Conclusions based on test scores, whether statistically true or not, make a terrible assumption that's been repeated throughout history and been the cause of much grief in this world in general," he said.

Other students questioned the book's research methods.

"As he has done in many previous works, [Murray] has totally ignored the impact of socio-economic circumstances and goes further to fabricate some other preposterous explanations," said former BSA President Alvin Bragg '95. "It's not scholarship as far as I'm concerned."

Pidot also said he questions the book's use of statistical evidence to support its findings.

"It takes a leap of faith to go from what are widely accepted views that there are significant differences between the races on IQ scores [to believing] this is an accurate or even a relevant measure of intelligence," Pidot said.

Bragg also questioned the political motivation for the book.

"Basically, his intent is really clear to me," he said. "He looks for ways to further the government's retreat from intervention."

Ho agreed.

"I think basically that the authors of the book decided that they wanted to make a political statement justifying the status of Blacks in society," he said.

But several leaders who disagreed with the book's findings said that its publication may have positive aspects.

"When something like this comes out I think it's positive because it shows people that biases still exist," Gutierrez said. "Prejudices still exist and people still have the conception that there are inferior traits in certain people."

The Other Side

Other students said the book should not be rejected without serious consideration.

Pidot said it could have both negative and positive ramifications.

"If [Hernstein and Murray] are trying to say that one race is genetically, intellectually superior and therefore there's going to naturally develop some sort of intellectual elite that's highly correlated with race, then no, that's not productive," he said.

"On the other hand, if the book is trying to locate where the parallels in performance, achievements, lie, than that is productive," he added.

Peninsula President G. Brent McGuire '95 said the book reveals the uselessness of many liberal governmental policies.

"One of the most valuable aspects of The Bell Curve is that it brings out in stunning detail how ineffective so many of the government's social programs have been over the years," he said.

The book's effect is positive because it brings to light issues which people have long been reluctant to discuss, McGuire said.

Dialogue

Much of the public exchange on the issue has been on the pages of newspapers and magazines, both on campus and off.

At Harvard, both sides have written for The Crimson's editorial page, in commentaries and, today, a letter.

Many students say the book is little more than 552 pages of academically glossed bigotry.

McGuire launched the recent exchange with an essay entitled "Defending the Bell Curve," in which he suggested a link between race and intelligence.

"The gap between upper-class whites and upper-class Blacks (although the IQs of each group are higher) is actually wider than the gap between lower-class whites and lower-class Blacks," he wrote. "This fact, borne out by decades of scholarship, strongly suggests a genetic component."

In their letter's first paragraph, Clarke and Kennedy offer opposite views.

"Carol Barnes notes that human mental processes are controlled by melanin, that same chemical that gives Blacks their superior physical and mental abilities," they write.

Their own views on the book, Clarke and Kennedy said, are contained in the letter's last few paragraphs.

"It seems that whites have grown tired of hearing about racism," they write. "So some have turned to measures such as The Bell Curve to believe themselves of blame."

Reactions to both sides of the published debate varied.

Student leaders said they disagreed with McGuire and endorsed Clarke and Kennedy's second paragraph opinions.

Several said they backed Clarke and Kennedy's effort to stir discussion but disagreed with the opinions offered in the first paragraphs of their letter.

"I think Kristen makes an excellent point in bringing up the effects of something like this," Gutierrez said. "When you look at social pathologies of urban areas these days, you have no support institutionally and you have so many vices to distract you from intellectual achievements."

Ho said he agrees with the letter's points about the book's potential effects.

'What race relations needs at this point is a renewed understanding that the current state is far from equal' Derek Ho '96

"I think they've articulated well the challenge that faces us in race relations today. [Clark and Kennedy] are right that many people think that minorities have had enough time to catch up," he said.

"I think that what race relations needs at this point is a renewed understanding that the current state is far from equal and that more radical steps have to be taken finally to promote equality," Ho said.

Cho said he questions the scholarship of the researchers Clark and Kennedy cite that assert the superiority of Blacks.

"There are a lot of things other than melanin or melatonin that are crucial [to intelligence]," he said. "Especially one's environment, which [the letter] points out."

Gutierrez said he disagreed with the examples in the first paragraph of Clarke and Kennedy's letter, but was glad they were brought into campus discourse.

"Ironically I think it's a very good thing," said Gutierrez, who said he found racism in The Bell Curve. "It's a blatant example that in this day and age people have age old biases about race."