Gates to Advise Gore on Race for Presidency

Du Bois Professor of the Humanities Henry Louis "Skip" Gates has joined the presidential campaign of Al Gore '69 as an "informal advisor," Gore aides said this weekend.

With this step, Gates has become the second nationally known member of Harvard's Afro-American Studies Department to offer his services to a presidential campaign.

Fletcher University Professor Cornel R. West '74 is a committed supporter of Gore's main opponent in the Democratic Party, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley.

In an interview yesterday, Gates said that he joined the campaign at Gore's request.

"He called me and we talked about it and I said I would pleased to help in any way possible," Gates said. "I have an enormous amount of respect for the vice president and for his political principles--particularly, his demonstrated commitment to ending racism."

Gates has been a confidant of the Gore family for years. He assisted the Vice President's eldest daughter Karenna Gore Schiff '95 with her senior thesis, which focused on slave narratives.

Gates said he also maintains a close friendship with Al Gore's wife Tipper.

Talking with reporters after Friday night's Democratic candidate debate in Nashua, N.H., West joked about the new Harvard rivalry.

"Oh yes, my dear brothers, Al Gore and Skip Gates I have great respect for," he said. "Skip Gates is my boss. He's a good boss. And I appreciate working with him, but we're going to be on different sides of the fence here."

"But that's good," West added. "That's what the marketplace is all about."

The two colleagues frequently discuss the candidates and issues, West said.

"Oh, we've had long debates about this thing...We've had wonderful disagreements...But I think I'm right," West concluded.

Gates, too, said he and West have had nothing but friendly and respectful conversations about the candidates.

"I love Cornel and he's a friend," Gates said. "His commitment to Bradley and my commitment to Gore are both political and personal.

"We both have personal relations with the candidate that existed long before this election," he added.

"I have enormous respect for Sen. Bradley and even more respect for Cornel West."

Gates said he has not yet discussed with the Gore staff what political role he will take in the next few months. He also said he does not know whether he'll do any traveling to support the vice president's campaign.

Gore's staff said that Gates will assume an "unofficial" advising role in the weeks to come.

"We certainly welcome his involvement," said Chris Lehane, Gore's communications director. "Anyone as distinguished as he is is always welcome."

West, meanwhile, said he plans to be an active participant in the Bradley campaign. He is a key advisor on policy issues--and also will stump for Bradley in the next several months.

"I've always said, I'm his brother and friend, his comrade, I'll gladly go down South, I'll gladly to go Iowa, I'm glad to be here in New Hampshire," West said.

The prediction that Gates would one day join the Gore campaign was first reported in the Nov. 12 issue of the Boston Phoenix, though at that time Gates had not yet committed.

While his attention will now be turned to politics, Gates has spent the last few months in educational pursuits, having published his 3,500-entry Encarta Africana encyclopedia and producing a six-part documentary on African civilization for PBS.

He had planned to write for the New Yorker magazine on politics, but said he will now focus on other topics.

Though Gates's public persona has seen its share of controversy, West has arguably been the target of more criticism. His philosophy--which extends to his writings--is an amalgam of postmodernism, Christian theology and Marxism.

Martin Peretz, the New Republic editor in chief, Gore confidant and Harvard lecturer, tried to minimize West's potential impact on the Bradley campaign to the Phoenix reporter.

West "may be the last remaining socialist in American life, so he doesn't bring a lot of comrades with him," Peretz said.

But Bradley's staff relishes the advice West has given.

Pausing between spin sessions at last Friday's debate in Nashua, Bradley communications director Anita Dunn said of Gates and West, "That's a debate I'd love to see."

--Parker R. Conrad, Sarah A. Dolgonos and James Y. Stern contributed to the reporting of this article.