To the Editor:
I am very glad that Ameer Shaikh took the time to reveal the advances of African civilization in what I think to be a fairly good proof that skin color doesn't indicate intelligence ("Black history disproves Jensen's theory," Oct. 31). One small quote in the column, however, strikes me as racist.
Shaikh wrote, "though we should still hold whites accountable for the whole project of slavery..." I find this to be blatantly untrue.
What was the skin color of those who helped the slave trade by capturing their neighbors and selling them to the Europeans? What color was the skin of those in Europe who never saw anyone from Africa? What color was the skin of those whose grandparents arrived from Europe after the injustice of slavery in the United States? What about those in this country who helped hide runaway slaves, at possible risk to liberty or life? People can identify themselves as being "white" without attaching themselves to the idea of slavery.
The United States is a different matter. Although I am fairly sure that none of my ancestors held slaves, I feel that the country has a responsibility to the people who helped build it, many unwillingly. We have paid tributes to other people we have wronged before, and the descendants of people that the United States used as slaves deserve a similar tribute.
Zachary Anderson
College
