On April 29, 2010, Harvard Law School Dean, Martha Minow, released a statement in condemnation of the content of an allegedly racist email, circulated by third-year law student, Stephanie Grace. Amid the firestorm that has erupted in recent days, Minow release the statement to clarify Harvard Law School’s official position on the email debacle.
Content of Original Email Written by Stephanie Grace
The controversy began when the Harvard Law Student, sent an email, in which the she said that blacks might be predisposed to be less intelligent than whites. The email was subsequently forwarded to a number of people and organizations, including Harvard Law School’s Black Law Student Association.
The most inflammatory comments from the email include the following:
“I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed to be less intelligent. I could also obviously be convinced that by controlling for the right variables, we would see that they are, in fact, as intelligent as white people under the same circumstances. The fact is, some things are genetic. African Americans tend to have darker skin. Irish people are more likely to have red hair.”
Harvard Law School Dean, Martha Minow’s Statement Condemning the Email
Minow, quickly responded to concern regarding the content of the email, distancing Harvard Law School from such statements:
“I am writing this morning to address an email message in which one of our students suggested that black people are genetically inferior to white people.
"This sad and unfortunate incident prompts both reflection and reassertion of important community principles and ideals. We seek to encourage freedom of expression, but freedom of speech should be accompanied by responsibility. This is a community dedicated to intellectual pursuit and social justice. The circulation of one student’s comment does not reflect the views of the school or the overwhelming majority of the members of this community…”
Stephanie Grace’s Apology to the Harvard’s Black Law Student Association
On April 29, 2010, Stephanie Grace sent an email apology to Harvard’s Black Law Student Association. In the apology, Grace stated:
“I emphatically do not believe that African Americans are genetically inferior in any way. I understand why my words expressing even a doubt in that regard were and are offensive.
"I would be grateful to have an opportunity to share my thoughts and to apologize to you in person. Even beforehand, I want to extend an apology to you and to anyone else who has been hurt by my actions.”
Public Opinion About the Harvard Law School Email Controversy
Public opinion of the controversy varies significantly, from condemnation of Stephanie Grace, to feelings that she’s been treated too harshly in the media. Blogger, Janet Shan, was incensed by the statements made by Stephanie Grace, and went on record with the following statement when asked about the incident:
“It's a disgrace. To think Stephanie Grace may one day become a judge is unconscionable. She apologized for her racist statements, but I don't think she was being sincere or else she would not have taken the time to prepare a speech in which she delivered some of these derogatory comments, and then wrote a long email reiterating and expanding upon her position.
"She should lose that prestigious clerkship she has coming up when she graduates. I blogged about it yesterday and I am still ticked off by it. Sadly, she isn't the only one who feels this way, but she didn't have the guts to stand behind her racist rhetoric.”
During a discussion on the subject, Tanya Bernard was more forgiving of Stephanie Grace:
“It sounds like they had too much wine at dinner. And, this unfortunate person said some things that she should have kept to herself. Then, as we do, she tried to fix things with an email, and ended up making it worse.
"I'm sure she's a nice person. I don't think she's racist. She just needs to learn when to not communicate what's going on in her head with the public. I bet she's very embarrassed. Everyone's been there. Everyone has said something at a work related dinner that they wish they hadn't. But, in our current society, sending an email is like hiring a skywriter.”
According to reports, Stephanie Grace has not responded to any requests by the media for information on the incident. Grace is scheduled for a clerkship this summer with Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski. It is unclear whether this incident will have any affect on the assignment.
UPDATED 4/30/2010:
On April 29, 2010, the Harvard Black Law Students Association (HBLSA) released a statement denouncing the racist email. In part, the open letter from the BLSA stated:
“The Harvard Black Law Students Association (HBLSA) strongly condemns the racially inflammatory email that was circulated among the entire Harvard Law School community. Like many individuals who read its content, we find the message to be deplorable and offensive. We are open to thoughtful discourse on even the most controversial of views, and yet we categorically reject the archaic notion that African-Americans are genetically inferior to white people. We recognize, however, that this issue is much larger than any single email or any particular student.”
Cheri Pearson - Cheri Pearson is a seasoned freelance journalist who holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of ...
