Mary Frances Berry, a University of Pennsylvania professor who also worked on the Commission on Civil Rights in the Carter and Clinton administrations, delivered the Black History Month keynote address yesterday. Her speech, "Race, Gender and the New Political Landscape," discussed past achievements of minorities as well as current human rights issues.
Berry, according to Dion Lewis, assistant dean of the Office of African American Affairs, was the first woman to lead a major research university, serving as chancellor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In his introduction, OAAA Dean Maurice Apprey said Black History Month is "a time when we are able to celebrate diversity ... [and] the achievement of those who came before us."
Berry also acknowledged the accomplishments of black and female political and social leaders. Their successes, she said, are visible proof of progress.
"But despite all of this," Berry said, "we're not saved."
Berry discussed what she called "headwinds against opportunity," including AIDS, outsourcing, the difference in the unemployment rate of black and white individuals and the need for immigration reform. Berry said "these are very knotty, difficult concerns to unravel."
Berry also addressed issues in all levels of education.
"We have been talking about how crummy K-12 education is ... for years," she said, noting, however, that "every single time the thing fractures over the same mistakes."
Teacher quality and small class sizes are two of the biggest concerns that should be addressed, Berry said.
"Teachers need to have enough time and space to give enough attention to the students," she said.
Berry also discussed current "issues of race and diversity" at colleges and universities.
Berry supported affirmative action programs, saying admissions offices should "look at the whole student and try to figure out who can benefit from being in a place like this."
A question-and-answer period followed the speech. One audience member asked if affirmative action policies could be construed as reverse discrimination. Berry said eliminating affirmative action without accepting the notion that discrimination against minorities exists would "perpetuate this situation and never remedy it."
Berry also discussed the general concept of diversity, noting, "we are becoming in many ways more integrated, [but] in other ways we're becoming less integrated."
Berry then offered suggestions for dealing with these issues through political and social action.
First, she said, people should "behave politically" by becoming informed about and involved in the political process, especially by voting.
"Don't ever believe that voting is unimportant," Berry said.
She also encouraged people to take action against injustice themselves through volunteer work and social movements.
"Young people will have to do this," Berry said. "Each generation must make its own dent in the wall of injustice [to] spread the ideas of liberty and justice for all and make it all reality."
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