Racism has been painstakingly interwoven into our society and intervention is necessary if this is to be changed, Charles Morris, vice-president for administrative services at Illinois State University, said at a lecture Thursday night.

About 30 people gathered in the Holmes Student Center to hear Morris speak on the topic “Racism on Campus: Toward an Agenda for Action.”

“Racism is rampant in society at large,” Morris said. “The system that nurtures white males, neglects, suppresses, punishes and rejects minority males.”

He noted the absence of blacks in positions of authority and power, saying minorities are more often found in entry level positions. In addition, blacks have the lowest success rate of students, he said. “Mediocre education has been a way of life for minorities.”

We are at a time in the history of this country when more blacks are graduating from high school, but higher education is on the decline. As an example, Morris said that 72 out of 100 blacks will graduate from high school, but only 12 of those 72 will graduate from college. In contrast, 83 out of 100 white students will graduate from high school, and 23 of these people will graduate from college.

Reasons cited by Morris for the decline of minority students at universities are the environment at the institutions and the availability of resources.

Morris also said education is contributing to racism because textbooks portray minorities negatively, or not at all. Often, there is no opportunity to learn about black history. Black studies, therefore, are important to set the record straight, he said.

One girl asked Morris if black unions (the black chorus and the black student union) are racist in themselves. She asked if blacks separate themselves from white students by having different unions and clubs.

“It’s important for minority students to separate themselves so they’re at ease or comfortable,” Morris said.”

Morris listed several recommendations to help rid our society of racism. These include learning more about different racial or ethnic groups, refusing to pass along racial stories and attitudes of others, accepting the fact there is no innately superior race or group and believing anyone can make a difference.