West, Lerner Talk About Blacks, Jews

Professor Cornell West '74-'73 and Michael Lerner discussed the relationship of Jews and Blacks before and animated crowd of approximately 800 last night at MIT's Kresge Auditorium.

"Anti-Black and anti-Jewish is as American as cherry pie," said West, who is a joint professor of African-American Studies and Religion.

West discussed the prejudice which he said both groups have faced--and continue to face--in America. "Both groups served as exemplary 'degraded others," he said.

The discussion of the "degraded other," a segment of society which is scapegoated as the cause of societal problems, was the major focus of the early remarks of both Lerner and West.

"The Jewish religion is built around telling the story of the liberation struggle," said Lerner, who is the publisher of the liberal Jewish Tikkun Magazine.

"Early rulers in Europe found the Jews to be a ready-made 'demeaned other' Jews were offered a choice: get rid of your Jewishness and you will be allowed to assimilate into the American culture," Lerner said.

West, his voice at times booming and at others in an emphatic whisper, posed the focus for the discussion as the question: "Is it possible that progressive elements of these two groups leave this barbaric century with some sense of hope?"

Disagreements between the speakers, who co-authored a recently published book Jews and Blacks, were highlighted as West responded to Lerner's argument against a "more oppressed than thou" philosophy.

"[It's odd for Jews to] try and remember being slaves in Egypt when they're living in vanilla suburbs," West said.

In reference to both speakers' condemnation of anti-Semitic remarks of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a member of that group asked the speakers: "How can you call Minister Farrakhan an anti-Semite when he's pro Arab? Farrakhan doesn't hate people, he hates wrong."

The most tense moment of the night occurred as the Nation of Islam member accused West of being a "buffer" between the Black community and the Jews. The audience member asked his comments be addressed by Lerner and was angered when West repeatedly responded.

"We don't need any buffers between the Blacks and the Jews," said the audience member to West. He also emphasized that the Nation of Islam was in no way prejudiced against Jews and rather would be "the first one's at the door step to defend any synagogue."

"If the Jews feel demeaned by Farrakhan, it is Farrakhan's responsibility to go to the Jews and learn from their comments if the two groups are to cooperate and from a relationship," Lerner responded.