[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7352-H7353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 UT PROFESSOR WHO BLASTS EFFORTS FOR DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS SPEAKS FOR NO 
                                  ONE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in the swirl of discussions of 
color-blindness and civil rights, I rise this evening to comment on 
unfortunate and misdirected comments, without academic content, made by 
one of our University of Texas professors in the State of Texas. Taken 
from an article in the Houston Chronicle, this professor offered to 
give his philosophy on the intellectual capacities of blacks and 
Mexican Americans.
  It is my understanding that his training is in law. I do not view him 
or have no knowledge of his background in sociology or psychology, but 
his comments are as follows:
  ``Racial diversity among students adds little to their education'', a 
University of Texas law professor said

[[Page H7353]]

Wednesday, adding that ``blacks and Mexican Americans can't compete 
academically with whites'' and that they come from cultures in which 
``failure is not looked upon with disgrace.''
  Professor Lino Graglia's thoughts on affirmative action and minority 
students' abilities have been publicly known for years. In 1986, his 
controversial views cost him an appointment to the United States 5th 
Circuit Court of Appeals after objections were raised to his use of the 
word ``pickaninny'' in the classroom and to his published articles in 
which he seemed to urge Austinites in Austin, Texas, to defy court 
ordered bussing of public school students.
  Let me, in contrast to his remarks, say that I am completely 
confident in the tenure system as well as the first amendment and 
academic freedom. I do recognize that our Nation's universities, both 
public and private, are havens for philosophical thought that I may not 
agree with and that I may agree with. And I recognize that Dr. Graglia 
hides behind that shield. Many of my colleagues in the State 
legislature and community activists have rightly called for these 
unfortunate, untimely remarks to be ``taken down,'' if I may 
characterize it that way, in that the professor be asked to resign.
  I believe that they have the authority and, of course, the initiative 
to address whether he comes or whether he stays or goes at the 
University of Texas, but I offer to say as this Congress looks at 
debating affirmative action, looks at MWBE programs or programs in the 
Federal Government that respond to creating opportunity for minority 
contractors, that we listen to the misguided and misdirected sentiments 
of individuals that are not informed and are not trained.

  The UT law school this year expects 4 blacks and 26 Mexican-Americans 
among its 468 new students. Final figures will not be available until 
Friday. Last year 31 blacks and 42 Mexican-Americans enrolled at the 
University of Texas law school. Graglia, who made his comments at the 
announcement of a new organization, Students for Equal Opportunity, for 
which he is the faculty adviser, insisted that ``blacks and Mexican-
Americans are not academically competitive with whites in selective 
institutions. It is the result primarily of cultural effects.'' 
``Various studies,'' he says, ``seem to show that blacks and Mexican-
Americans spend much less time in school. They have a culture, it 
seems, not to encourage achievement. Failure is not looked upon with 
disgrace.''
  Let me simply say to the professor that I find him a disgrace. For it 
is interesting that with his limited training, no expertise in 
sociology, or the data of gathering any substance to give support to 
the comment that their culture seems not to encourage achievement, that 
here he is, isolated in Austin, TX, and he rises to a national platform 
to characterize all African-Americans and Mexican-Americans in this 
Nation.
  I assume maybe he has done a national polling, even to the extent of 
going into each and every household, starting from slavery for African-
Americans and maybe from the first immigrant from Mexico, and he now 
has the absolute results, almost like the Emmy or the Oscars, he has 
the final tally that culturally we do not encourage achievement amongst 
African-Americans or Mexican-Americans.
  So the leaders of this Nation, who have been African-American and 
Mexican-American scientists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, business 
persons, multimillionaires, billionaires, all do not count for this 
professor. He sits in his isolated shell, protected by the first 
amendment and academic freedom, and wants to insult a nation of people.
  Graglia said, ``Admitting less qualified students because of their 
race brings down the class and denies admissions to qualified white 
students.'' I would simply say to this professor that maybe he should 
remain isolated, protected by academic freedom and the first amendment, 
but he speaks for no one, and least of all he speaks not with reason, 
understanding, and intelligence. He speaks with no data. He speaks with 
no knowledge of the cultural expressions of African-Americans and 
Mexican-Americans. Frankly, he says nothing. And, frankly, if I were 
him, I would silence myself.

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