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During the debate, Rosovsky and some of his colleagues argued that the action would set a dangerous precedent for student participation in the appointment of teachers in other departments, that students were not sufficiently well-trained to judge academic qualifications and that distinguished academics might not come to a department half-controlled by students. Nonetheless, the faculty voted 258 to 151 to include the students on the committee. "The country has to make the utmost effort to find constructive solutions to the race problem," said Economist Richard Musgrave. "One has to be prepared to do things which one would not do in other circumstances."
W. H. Ferry, a fellow of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, has gone so far as to suggest that the University of California set up an all-black undergraduate college, the ultimate in autonomy. "A good deal of the problem," wrote Ferry in his proposal to the Regents, "rests in the clash between what we whites think blacks should want, and what blacks do want. I believe we must pay strict attention to what the blacks say they want—even though contradiction and muzziness may sometimes be discerned—and go the long mile to helping them achieve it."
Prudence and Justice
Many critics remain unconvinced. Some argue that full-scale black studies will produce second-class education, a dual standard for degrees that will only unfit black graduates for the real white world. In addition, critics fear that black revolutionaries may use the classroom for propaganda. Nathan Hare gladly concedes the point: "Education is not objective. It propagandizes students to conform to the society." Black students, he argues, must be trained to reject racism—black as well as white—and in that sense he is preaching revolutionary education.
Even so, it is necessary to define precisely what kind of revolution black studies should accomplish. If the courses teach blind separatism or violence, tragedy will result. If the goal is problem solving, the teaching of personal and political skills or real black power, then nothing could be more legitimate. Conversely, the most worrisome revolution, perhaps, is the one that may afflict campuses that block or hedge on black studies. Going along is not only prudent; it is also just. In the long run, moreover, the present "action" phase of black studies is likely to be self-liquidating. As soon as it succeeds, it will not be necessary. Black studies could then grow into a more intellectual discipline like Asian or African area studies. The risk in black studies is that it may create academic apartheid. But the risk in "white studies" is greater: the loss of black equality and achievement. If those key American ideals mean anything, the choice is obvious.