Racial amnesia
Harvard Professor Ogletree speaks at NEIU
Kate Pastorelli
Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: News
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"Racial amnesia" was the phrase he used to describe the youth of today who Ogletree believes do not know enough about history or important people.
"It amazes me how little we know about racial differences," said Ogletree. He described asking suburban high school students who Dr. King is and often being met with the response "He's the guy who had a dream."
The classrooms that he spoke to knew more about the current popular hip-hip stars than they knew about King.
"Popular racial figures are often forgotten and need to be remembered," Ogletree encouraged. He wants this and future generations of color to know more than "the guy who had a dream," or the "the lady who refused to move to the back of the bus."
"There's a national crisis for black youth," Ogletree continued. "They are less likely to graduate from high school and going to detention more often than their fellow peers."
Ogletree also talked about his admiration for Charles Hamilton Houston, who attended Harvard in 1919. Because of his color, he wasn't allowed to eat in the cafeteria or sleep in the dorm rooms. Although he excelled academically, he left Harvard to attend Howard University, where he eventually became the dean.
Ogletree's talk lasted about an hour and a half, after which there was a question-and-answer and autograph session. He has recently authored two books: From Lynch Mobs to the Killing State: Race and the Death Penalty in America and All Deliberate Speed: Reflections on the First half century on Brown v. Board of Education.
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