The following is excerpted from a recent address given by Dr. James D. Tschechtelin, president of Baltimore City Community College.

As president of a predominantly African-American institution, it is important for faculty, students and the community to know where I am coming from on the issue of race. Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) enrolls 83 percent African-American students in a city that is 63 percent African American. This topic is critical at this time because race is dividing some of us and distracting us from our mission. Race has long been one of the taboo subjects of our society, and the need for an open and honest dialogue is great.

What do I think? What do I believe in? I know that we all live on the same planet, and we live in a multicultural world. I care. That is what God expects us to do -- to care about each other. I believe that racism is real, that it is not fading away and that it is an American tragedy. I want to be a part of the solution.

In 1968, "The Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders" stated, "This is our basic conclusion: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one [B]lack, one white -- separate and unequal." It was true in 1968 and it is still true today. I am concerned about this inequality and I want to do something about it.

Disparities Remain

In 1992, ABC's "PrimeTime Live" televised a program which vividly depicted the salience of race in our society. Two young college-educated men, similarly dressed, one white and one African American, were filmed trying to accomplish similar tasks such as renting an apartment, buying a car, applying for a job and shopping in a shoe store. In each of the cases, the African-American male was treated differently from the white male. The white male was told that he only had to put down 10 percent to 20 percent for a car, while the African-American male was told that the down payment would have to be 20 percent to 25 percent (and the price quoted on the car was higher). In the shoe store, the African-American male was virtually ignored, but the white male was offered assistance. I am angry about racism and I am determined to make a difference.