Barbara J. Fields, a professor of history at Columbia University, delivered the spring Charter Lecture on April 6.
Racism is as real as the stock market.
Some might say that racism cannot exist without race and that there needs to be a distinction. To say the term 'racial epithet' is to put lace trim on a repulsive figure. Race is no more an identity than a taxpayer identification number. It is something that is assigned to you, like a brand on a steer. What children should be taught is self-respect, respect for others, and appropriate conduct in the presence of others.