Letters
9/20/2002On Race and Democracy
I was glad to see you focus on john powell and the important work that he is doing ("On Race and Space," March–April). I’ve been following the letters from other readers, and I can’t help but think that the way the author framed the issues has contributed to the emotionally reactive responses.
Framing the issue of sprawl as "a kind of conspiracy" implies that a group of people have secretly, unlawfully, and consciously created the current situation. There is, however, a clear historical record of explicitly racist laws and policy decisions that have, whether intended or not, had a deleterious effect, particularly on nonwhites.
These laws and policy decisions were not racially neutral, but instead reflected the assumptions of normative whiteness. As the dominant norm, whiteness has been the taken-for-granted standard. Beginning a discussion about race and space with a Daniel Boone legend situates the conversation within this standard, leaving the implications of American expansionism unexamined. The "common sense" customs and property laws of whites were, for example, experienced by African slaves and American Indians as acts of violence.
Why can’t I as a white middle-class American just move on from this history? Because I see that the consequences of past choices continue to create persistent disparities that can’t be explained by either the personal failings of nonwhites or the personal choices of whites.
What I appreciate about john powell’s work is that he highlights the impact of structural racism, which transcends personal racial animosity. I don’t hear him telling people where to live or not to follow our dreams. I don’t hear him blaming white people for black people’s failures. I hear him drawing attention to the fact that although we are all individuals, none of us is simply an individual. Not only are we interconnected as human beings, but our membership in different social groups has been, and continues to be, connected to opportunity structures.
While I personally didn’t create the current racial situation, I would like to be a part of creating a true democracy. In John Dewey’s words, democracy is "more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience." John powell’s work offers me both inspiration and concrete ideas about how to create a truly democratic community.
Terri Karis (B.S. ’80, M.A. ’89, Ph.D. ’00)
Minneapolis
Shame on Minneapolis
Thank you for the article on architect Ralph Rapson (July–August). I was alarmed, but not surprised, to read that the building that Rapson created for the Guthrie Theater is currently threatened with demolition. During my four years in Minneapolis I was struck by the incredible disregard with which the city of Minneapolis treats its architecture. Instead of seeking a path that would reuse and preserve old and threatened buildings, Minneapolitans appear to prefer tearing them down and replacing them with the flashiest and most gimmicky of alternatives. Just the thought of what Minneapolis decided to do with Block E disturbs me to no end. I’ve always argued that the respect with which a city treats its architecture is a good indication of the character of the people who make up the city. The outdated attitude toward architecture that Minneapolis seems to nourish does not reflect well upon her citizens. The fact that Walker Art Center would even consider destroying the Guthrie, a gem of modernist architecture, is shocking. The fact that the Walker and the Minneapolis City Council would do so with such disdain for her architect and the significance of the building is not just an insult to Rapson, but to the people of the Twin Cities.
Chris Jones (B.A. ’99)
Portland, Oregon
Where Is Arts and Humanities Research Coverage?
I find Minnesota magazine an informative and well-designed publication. However, I was disappointed with the May–June centennial issue, specifically the article "Fast Forward: U Research Shapes the Future," in which an overview of research at the University included not a single faculty representative and their research from the arts or humanities. While that research may not tie in with the University’s strategic initiatives (digital technology, the environment, medicine, plant sciences, and the like), it is important.
What we discover in research and creative applications in the arts and humanities will define the critical human values that will govern the use and creation of scientific advancements, determine how we choose to live, communicate and interact in society, provide the creative and expressive experiences that help society (and most scientists, I might add) cope with, understand, even tolerate our complex world, and create the quality of life that is as important to the intellectual health of society as any scientific advancement. It isn’t either/or; it is both/and.
Could we have taken just a couple of the 12 pages devoted to athletics, especially when it has so dominated Minnesota media coverage as of late, to provide the space for a more balanced view of what future research will be at this, one of the largest, most comprehensive research universities in the world? My hope is that Minnesota magazine can provide the balance that society regularly seeks that must be a part of an article of this nature. Otherwise, the not-so-subliminal message gives an inaccurate picture to the larger University community.
Jeffrey Kimpton
Director and Professor, School of Music
Bring Back Alumni News
At one time, and for many moons, the alumni magazine had a section near the rear of the publication making note of the years and accomplishments of University of Minnesota grads. For many of us in faraway lands, we looked forward to reading of such news items.
Additionally, as 1941 graduates, my wife and I always read the obituary columns with intense interest to see who might have departed this world since your last publication. It would be my guess that you have received other requests for returning to this format. But if not, please consider this the start of a request for you all to do so.
We know your great regret at the loss of President Mark Yudof as he returns to Texas to head up a badly needed leadership position at our University of Texas system. It was my pleasure to have known Mark Yudof as a professor, dean, and provost prior to his going north to our alma mater. It is also our great pleasure to welcome him back to Longhorn Country, where he will continue to wrestle with our legislature over maintaining and increasing funding for another great University.
Vincent DiNino (B.S. ’41)
Fredericksburg, Texas
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