Rap Session on Race

As Clinton calls for a second round of campus dialogue on race, some wonder how successful the first was; others praise efforts as a useful starting point

WASHINGTON — President Clinton created the President's Initiative on Race to "help build One America in the 21st Century — a nation of people who respect their diversity and embrace the values which unite them."
But nearly two years later, it appears that a key component of Clinton's plans for greater racial harmony — actively involving the nation's 3,600 colleges and universities — has fallen far short of the mark.
A mere 16 percent of higher education institutions participated in the first Campus Week of Dialogue on Race in April 1998 with events that ranged from town hall meetings and student leadership activities to community-university partnerships and more.
Since then, little has been said about what impact — if any — those events actually had on the campuses and communities in which they took place. Worse, many higher education officials draw a blank when asked about last year's events.
Despite such mediocre results, Clinton next month will again call upon campuses to set aside the week of Oct. 4-8 for dialogue on issues of race and diversity.
A random sampling by Black Issues of college and universities revealed that some school representatives had no recollection whatsoever of the Campus Week of Dialogue. Yet those administrators who did remember it unanimously agreed that it was — or could have been — valuable, inspirational, worthwhile, and in some cases, even healing. What's more, the conversations didn't just attract a smattering of socially conscious students. Rather, at most schools, there was significant participation from students, staff, and faculty, as well as from diverse members of related communities.
Dr. Barbara Frankle, associate dean for academic affairs at LeMoyne-Owen College says that approximately 60 percent of the student body and more than 200 area residents participated in marches, panel discussions, town hall meetings, workshops, or other activities at her campus in Memphis. One event brought together CEO's from the city's business community to a roundtable discussion focusing on education, business, and race relations.
"Most people who participated felt inspired," Frankle says. "We continue to do these types of things because of the excitement it inspired."