Vanderbilt University, under the sig- be met by a black, we would pre- Pennsylvania State University's Head, University of Santa Clara, California advertised a position in black history at the same historical convention. Goldman applied and was told by Chairman E. Thadeus Flood that the position had been filled by a Chicano specialist. On September 13, 1972, the allegedly "filled" position was advertised again. Goldman reapplied. No answer. Your own University of Wisconsin at Green Bay informed Mr. Goldman over the signature of R. Christian Johnson, of the Office of Liberal Education Seminars, that "We are "In addition to the enclosed collection I have been interviewed by Richard L. Wysong of Central Michigan University of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Dr. Wysong told me in the course of the interview that I would not be considered for the position because of my color. He said that the President of his school directed him to come back from the convention with a black. I don't know whether he did or not. The same conversation occurred between Dr. M. Browning Carroll of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois, and myself. Carroll informed me that his department wanted a black for the position and he suggested with a smile that I go into Jewish Studies. I didn't like his joke and the interview was terminated... In his letter of January 15, 1973 to Dr. Robert W. Larsen, Acting Chairmen, Department of History, University of Northern Colorado, Mr. Goldman pleads for understanding: "You wrote, 'As you probably know, there are guidelines issued by the United States Office of Civil Rights requiring that we take positive action 'to recruit, employ, and promote qualified members' of minority groups. A black person, naturally, would be particularly appropriate for this position, and we intend to follow the federal guidelines. ' First, kindly allow me to pose this question to you: Why would a black person be particularly appropriate for a position in black history? Do you have a Frenchman doing the French Revolution and Napoleonic eras? Do you have a colonist (good trick if you do!) teaching American Colonial History? Do you have an oriental teaching Asian Studies?... "Please allow me to add that I applaud the efforts currently being made by many universities to balance a long-term evil in their failure to hire qualified blacks and women on their staffs. But affirmative action' does not mean that you skip lately have advanced the problem into the area of public debate (with most of the available documentation supplied by our office). Many government officers, including those in H.E.W., have taken lately a somewhat more reasonable stand. Nevertheless, the main battle is still being lost. Victims abound. Take, for example, the case of Martin S. Goldman, doctoral candidate at Clark University at Worcester. A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Goldman studied while teaching others. He worked in predominantly black schools and learned, first hand, about deficiencies in existing curricula. Like many others of his generation, he proceeded to translate his understanding into action. Faced with a choice of possible specialties, he put heavy emphasis on courses in black history. His intent was to teach at some college or university, and his first experiences looked promising. Two years ago, in April of 1971, the University of Michigan, Dearborn Campus, invited him out for an interview for a position in Afro-American and Urban history. He flew out to Dearborn and after giving a paper was offered a one-year half-time appointment on the spot by the Dean of Liberal Arts and the Chairman of the Department. He told them that he had not yet begun research on his thesis and would very much appreciate it if they would hold the offer open for the following year. (He had only passed his Ph.D. orals the day before the interview). They said they would try, but of course could make no promises. The next year he received a note telling him how impressed they were and that he was still the top candidate for the spot. Last spring the Chairman called and said that because of budget problems no position was funded but that Mr. Goldman would be reconsidered for this year. call to the Chairman, Dr. Donald Proctor, broke the news, however, that a new dean had been installed and that he had passed down the word to hire blacks. Though still very impressed with Goldman's work, said Proctor, the department would have to follow the dean's orders - a bitter disappointment for someone whose hopes have been kept high for almost two years, and who was receiving during the past few months similar treatment from other quarters. From the University of Louisville: A "Let me say that so far as any new From West Chester State College (Pennsylvania): 1972-73, has caused the College to *My best wishes to you for a From Nassau Community College (under "In reply, I wish to say Late From Tufts University in Medford, Mass. (dated January 4, 1972): "I must tell you that we hope to fill the position with a minority person, but in the last analysis we hope to get the best person we can. Cordially yours, Robert J. Taylor, Chairman" On June 21 Mr. Taylor wrote another letter to Mr. Goldman: ..."The nub of the matter is that the position remains open... (Sic!) of the several Blacks available whom we interviewed none met our expectations in terms of academic criteria. It is fair to say that we are extending for another year the time period for our search." It is quite obvious that Mr. Goldman was never even given a chance. Vanderbilt University, under the signature of Professor Gantham, states that "because the department believes that the responsibilities of the position can best be met by a black, we would prefer a man or woman of that race". Mr. Goldman protested and never received a reply. Pennsylvania State University's Head, Division of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, George D. Wolf, advertised a position at the December, 1971 Convention of the American Historical Association. When Mr. Goldman applied, he was told, "Sorry; the candidate is expected to teach Black Literature and Aesthetics..." University of Santa Clara, California and was told by Chairman E. Thadeus Your own University of Wisconsin at "In addition to the enclosed collection I have been interviewed by Richard L. Wysong of Central Michigan University of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Dr. Wysong told me in the course of the interview that I would not be considered for the position because of my color. He said that the President of his school directed him to come back from the convention with a black. I don't know whether he did or not. The same conversation occurred between Dr. M. Browning Carroll of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois, and myself. Carroll informed me that his department wanted a black for the position and he suggested with a smile that I go into Jewish Studies. I didn't like his joke and the interview was terminated... In his letter of January 15, 1973 to Dr. Robert W. Larsen, Acting Chairmen, Department of History, University of Northern Colorado, Mr. Goldman pleads for understanding: "You wrote, 'As you probably know, there are guidelines issued by the United States Office of Civil Rights requiring that we take positive action 'to recruit, employ, and promote qualified members' of minority groups. A black person, naturally, would be particularly appropriate for this position, and we intend to follow the federal guidelines. ' First, kindly allow me to pose this question to you: Why would a black person be particularly appropriate for a position in black history? Do you have a Frenchman doing the French Revolution and Napoleonic eras? Do you have a colonist (good trick if you do!) teaching American Colonial History? Do you have an oriental teaching Asian Studies?... "Please allow me to add that I applaud the efforts currently being made by many universities to balance a long-term evil in their failure to hire qualified blacks and women on their staffs. But 'affirmative action' does not mean that you skip over qualified whites. To overlook qualified white males in the Black Studies area by not even allowing them to compete for an opening (as you did with my application last year, and, alas, seem to be doing this year) does irreparable damage to the discipline and threatens to undermine its very academic legitimacy. Either Black history is essential to an understanding of America's past and must be understood by us all, or it is unimportant and can be segregated and left for only blacks to to teach and study... "I think, by now, that my point is made. I hope you will reconsider your department's position." Mr. Larson did not. And so, time is running out on Mr. Martin S. Goldman who is to receive his doctorate this spring but has nothing else to look forward to. He writes: "At any rate, I have been unemployed for the better part of two years now; last week my wife and I were evicted and things are rapidly falling apart. If there is anything that can be done about anything I've sent thru to your [UCRA] group, please do it soon for I don't have very much time." I am fully aware at this point, Dr. Johnson, that I have penned an awfully long reply to your brief letter. Worse, I have preempted the major part of this issue of Measure for the very topic against which you have raised such strenuous objections. I nevertheless accepted the risk of your possible further alienation and wrote, in the name of our Editorial Board, this long opus because of a sincere hope that a detailed presentation of one fairly typical case will bring to light the full extent and the rampant characteristics of the problem at hand. The story may, at the same time, answer in a sense your charge that the Board has a "paranoic attitude to the subject". We do not feel that we are "running the issue into the ground": rather, we decided that we cannot let the issue be pushed under the rug. Incidentally, in view of the scope and the complexity of the problem, a new Committee on Academic Nondiscrimination and Integrity has been formed for the sole purpose of monitoring, analyzing, and acting in the area of Equal Opportunity in our academic institutions. It is headed by such distinguished educators and scholars as Paul Seabury, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Tom Sowell, Nathan Glazer and Bruno Bettelheim; its address is 444 Park Avenue South, New York, N. Y. 10016. It is on the verge of publishing its own bulletin and this will free the pages of Measure for more education-oriented commentaries. I hope that this development will meet with your approval and that UCRA will continue to enjoy the benefit of your support. Perhaps it is also worth noting that UCRA stands, and fights, among other things, for our rights to disagree. From this point of view our continuous cooperation is not only possible, but even desirable. Sincerely yours, Miro M. Todorovich Associate Professor, CUNY, and Executive Secretary, UCRA MEASURE UNIVERSITY CENTERS FOR RATIONAL ALTERNATIVES 110 West 40th Street, New York, N. Y. 10018 [Telephone: (212) 524 - 2018] |