Monteiro fuels race problems

Hate makes waste, or, don’t give up the ship.

That’s the message to Marilyn Monteiro, NIU director of affirmative action. Monteiro spoke at a panel discussion Sunday night titled “Being Black in DeKalb.” During the discussion, Monteiro said she is “tired of teaching white people” about racism. Most of the audience, black or white, was in attendance to learn about black and white attitudes toward life in the DeKalb and NIU communities.

Monteiro went on to say that she did not even want to participate in the debate and only did so at the insistence of some students. She likened the concept of the panel to a “liberal crusade for personal redemption.”

These attitudes do not set a very good tone for race relations at NIU, especially when one considers they come right in the middle of Black Heritage Month.

Granted, the gears of a society without racism grind slowly, but that is certainly not a reason to lash out against whites who try to understand the racial problems NIU and DeKalb face.

If we can’t continue to face the travesties of racism together, then we certainly can’t ever find a solution to the racial quagmire.