The Justice

"BBSO has a powerful history of facilitating cultural awareness and dialogues in social responsibility. In addition to coordinating creative and relevant programs educating the campus about the rich diversity of international Africana cultures, ... to create a safe space to promote friendship and solidarity among black students. Also, ... to contribute to the academic and political issues that impact people of African descent around the world and ... to bridge gaps between communities."

The African Club's consitution reads: "The African Club ... seeks to culturally empower African students and the student body at large to become socially, politically, and critically aware of African cultures. A goal is to enter the complexities of Africa as a continent by looking at the diversity of each country, and to understand these diversities through a sociopolitical and socio-cultural lens."

Both speak directly about African culture and awareness of cultural and political issues. While an argument can be made that BBSO's purpose caters more to African-American students rather than African students, it is clear in BBSO's constitution that it will also envelop African students and issues to bridge gaps between all those of African descent.

What is bigoted is to infer that I don't know the differences between Africans and African-Americans because I am a "white, Jewish, middle-class, conservative." I never stated anything to that effect, and in neither club's purpose nor in my e-mail were African-Americans mentioned. I wrote nothing about them being the same, and my e-mail to senators was never about whether the two groups are the same or different but simply about the club's purposes being similar. As a senator and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I am charged to raise these issues in accord with bylaws that stipulate that no two clubs with similar purposes should both be chartered. It is perfectly fine to argue the differences between both, but all the arguments have had absolutely no basis within the text that defines both clubs , but rather about the differences between Africans and African-Americans.

To make ad hominem attacks on me for something that was neither implied nor written is utterly ridiculous. This was never about personal issues, but somehow turned into personal attacks on my character, upbringing, religion, political ideology, skin color and intelligence. Something needs to be done about this travesty to ensure that real debate based on facts is not turned into impugning the character of students who are raising proper concerns. If my being called a racist and having my intelligence questioned is not an absolute mockery of what Brandeis stands for, I do not know what is.



The writer is senator for the Class of 2008 and chair of the? Senate's Ways and Means Committee.

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