To the editor:

Mr. Woell, it’s a sad commentary that a senior in political science could graduate with such a high level of ignorance and lack of understanding on how poor race relations are in society.

I can see where you would feel like racism doesn’t exist to the extent that it does, but for you to say that the North was totally unbiased toward blacks and blacks could live “as equals in every way,” is very irresponsible and dangerous, not to mention very stupid.

In fact, blacks were treated almost worse in the North because they were separate and unequal.

Blacks in Chicago in 1960 (100 years after abolition) saw “white only” signs everywhere from swimming pools to water fountains for fear that blacks would infect people with diseases.

We couldn’t go to a barber shop for a haircut.

We couldn’t even shop at your stores or live in your neighborhoods.

How do you think the ghettos got started?

They grew because blacks, of all economic means, could only live in certain areas (i.e. the black belt), and then were charged exorbitant rents (far more than even Jews or any other minorities of that time) for substandard housing.

Imagine for a minute that you were black and you graduated from a university, and instead of getting a job in your profession, you had to work as a porter because whites said no one would want to work with you.

Better still, imagine being a famous actor and you’re going to perform in Vegas, only you have to use the backdoors and, oh yeah, don’t swim in the pool.

Maybe you forgot the race riots that killed so many and gave you a home where you live now in the suburbs because HUD and Fanny Mae and The Realtors Association and anyone who had authority pushed racist propaganda that started the white flight movement to the suburbs.

I see white families in my neighborhood break their necks to sell their homes due to a small influx of black families.

I’ve seen a whole neighborhood change complexion in the matter of five years.

Then I listen to the classical music stations advertise for my neighborhood in hopes to get white families back.

Nothing about my culture has taught me that white people are uncomfortable with me. Only white people have taught me that.

My friend Vito, as a kid growing up, couldn’t even let me in his house.

His father said to him (in Italian) the first time him saw me, “Hey Vito, what are you doing with that moolie?”

My “problem” is that we are not seen as equal to whites, and my “problem” is that even though we aren’t equal as people, we are treated the same as the lowest of our race.

We have our ignorant psychos just as white people do.

We also have our scholars and talented tenth as do all the races.

Before you go out into the world, read a book or two (something by W.E.B Dubois would work) on the the history of oppression against the black race.

Learn how to see, then you’ll understand.

Raushan Johnson

Junior

Liberal studies