Students Express Anger at Racism In Mather House

About 35 Black students ate dinner at the Mather House dining hall last night in a show of solidarity against the third incident of racist graffiti to appear in the house this fall.

This most recent racial slur was discovered early Saturday morning in the A entry stairwell, between the third and fourth floors.

"A specific student was targeted," Co-Master Sandra A. Naddaff '75 said. "The name was followed by the epithet, 'nigger.'"

Harvard police detectives, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, dusted for fingerprints and took photographs of the graffiti on Saturday morning, Naddaff said.

The person targeted is Latino, not African-American, according to house committee chair Tom P. Gavin '95.

On a typical evening in the house dining, one would find very few Black students eating, according to Mather resident Marvin A. Coote '95. But last night was an entirely different story. A group of about three dozen Black students, many of whom are not Mather residents, dined in one large group in the middle of the hall.

"I'm here because there's an injustice that has occurred," said North House resident Sarah G. Vincent '97. "There's a certain point when the community of students has to get involved."

In the first of the three incidents of racial graffiti, resident tutor David Porter, who is Black, found the word "nigger" scrawled across the name card on his door last month.

The second incident involved a scrawled slur reading. "Die Nigger," found above the entrance to the house weight room earlier this month.

After the second incident, Mather House residents met last week to sign a statement condemning the two racial slurs.

Between 250 and 300 students out of the more than 400 house residents have signed the statement, according to Naddaff.

In response to the latest incident, Mather House staff convened a meeting for Black and Latino house residents yesterday with a counselor from the University Health Services.

"It was a forum for the students more directly targeted [by the incident] to express their concerns," Naddaff said. About 14 students attended the two-hour meeting, according to Naddaff.

"The Black community at Mather is very small," said house resident Ailey Y. Penningroth '97. "And so it was necessary to call a special meeting. So we could get together and talk about it."

The Mather staff is planning a house-wide meeting about the racial incidents following winter break.

"This isn't like setting off a fire extinguisher," Gavin said. "This is a hate crime. The criminal repercussions are severe."

In a letter circulated to all house residents about the most recent incident, Mather staff asked students to call the Harvard police's anonymous tips line if they had any information about the graffiti.

"It is increasingly impossible for me to believe that other students do not know about this," said Senior Tutor Mary K. Peckham.

Meanwhile, members of four Black student organizations--the Black Students Association, the Association of Black Radcliffe Women, Harvard Society of Black Scientists and the Freshman Black Table--mobilized to show their concern for the recent racial incidents.

"It was a joint collaboration," said Valencia D. Thomas '96, president of the Harvard Society of Black Scientists. "My roommate and I were discussing it, and we decided we should go down and make a representation."

Many Black students not only condemned the racist acts but also wanted to show their support for their fellow Blacks in Mather.

"We felt the need to come out against racial epithets, racial slurs and racism in general," said Cynthia D. Johnson '96, president of the Association of Black Radcliffe Women. "And also just to say to the Black community of Mather that when one member of our community is affected by racism, all of us are affected."

Penningroth expressed dismay for the lack of reaction from her fellow Mather residents.

"What disappointed me the most was the apathy with which students in Mather House responded," Penningroth said.

But many Mather residents said they were upset by the latest in the string of racial incidents.

"It just pissed me off," said Chris R. Calabrese '95, who walked by the graffiti Saturday. "It pretty much ruins your whole day."

"It's embarrassing to the house," Calabrese added.

Like many other residents, Calabrese believes that one individual is behind the string of slurs.

"It seems to me like it's one very upset person who's crying for attention," Calabrese said.

Gavin expressed a similar opinion. "In my opinion, you are dealing with one person, one isolated individual, not a pervasive attitude in the house," Gavin said

"It was a forum for the students more directly targeted [by the incident] to express their concerns," Naddaff said. About 14 students attended the two-hour meeting, according to Naddaff.

"The Black community at Mather is very small," said house resident Ailey Y. Penningroth '97. "And so it was necessary to call a special meeting. So we could get together and talk about it."

The Mather staff is planning a house-wide meeting about the racial incidents following winter break.

"This isn't like setting off a fire extinguisher," Gavin said. "This is a hate crime. The criminal repercussions are severe."

In a letter circulated to all house residents about the most recent incident, Mather staff asked students to call the Harvard police's anonymous tips line if they had any information about the graffiti.

"It is increasingly impossible for me to believe that other students do not know about this," said Senior Tutor Mary K. Peckham.

Meanwhile, members of four Black student organizations--the Black Students Association, the Association of Black Radcliffe Women, Harvard Society of Black Scientists and the Freshman Black Table--mobilized to show their concern for the recent racial incidents.

"It was a joint collaboration," said Valencia D. Thomas '96, president of the Harvard Society of Black Scientists. "My roommate and I were discussing it, and we decided we should go down and make a representation."

Many Black students not only condemned the racist acts but also wanted to show their support for their fellow Blacks in Mather.

"We felt the need to come out against racial epithets, racial slurs and racism in general," said Cynthia D. Johnson '96, president of the Association of Black Radcliffe Women. "And also just to say to the Black community of Mather that when one member of our community is affected by racism, all of us are affected."

Penningroth expressed dismay for the lack of reaction from her fellow Mather residents.

"What disappointed me the most was the apathy with which students in Mather House responded," Penningroth said.

But many Mather residents said they were upset by the latest in the string of racial incidents.

"It just pissed me off," said Chris R. Calabrese '95, who walked by the graffiti Saturday. "It pretty much ruins your whole day."

"It's embarrassing to the house," Calabrese added.

Like many other residents, Calabrese believes that one individual is behind the string of slurs.

"It seems to me like it's one very upset person who's crying for attention," Calabrese said.

Gavin expressed a similar opinion. "In my opinion, you are dealing with one person, one isolated individual, not a pervasive attitude in the house," Gavin said