The thinking expressed in Brian Blase's opinion column evinces his need for courses like those that will be taught by the additional African/African-American studies professors secured by the Black Caucus students' protest.

The Black Caucus' strategic use of the death threats and the manipulation of the student body is to be commended, as it exemplifies strategies used by Civil Rights organizations such as The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and others.

The African-American struggle for human rights, equal access to society's resources and equal access to quality education has served as a blueprint for other diverse groups to which Blase alluded: religious, (White) women, sexual orientation, ideological, ethnic, economic, cultural, etc.

One question that Blase asked in particular is worth commenting upon. "Why is racial diversity more important to [the Black Caucus]"?

I am sure that the Black Caucus itself contains the types of diversity that you outlined.

However, the experiences of racism that they continue to endure in this world, of which Penn State is a microcosm, were best pursued as issues of racism, not under other aspects of their diversity.

Blase also stated that the Black Caucus agenda was narrow.

Not really.

If you look at the situation from their point of view, they are making a sacrifice for the good of the community and walking in the footsteps of their forebears in the intellectual-activist traditions of liberation.

This is a major aspect of African-American studies, to look at the world from the point of view of African-American experiences.

If you take these courses, you will see that many other groups have benefited greatly from African-American struggles.

You can too.