White Women Against Racism bars African Americans from meeting

Parkway Central High School '94 Chesterfield, Mo. To celebrate Black History Month, Engineering junior Janali Davis wanted to attend an event sponsored by a group calling itself "White Women Against Racism." As soon as Davis sat down in the room where the event was to take place, Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi, one of the program's facilitators, called her into the hall. "Because of the structure and the purpose of this organization, it would not be appropriate for you to be here at this time," DiLapi told Davis. Davis and DiLapi began debating the issue when Bah-Bai Makenta, a project planner with the Department of Facilities Planning, joined in. Makenta, who is also black, had been interested in attending the program as well. The three proceeded to argue for almost an hour until Davis left in tears. Davis said she felt hurt, confused and discriminated against. "The reason I went to the meeting is because I was curious about White Women Against Racism," she said. "I don't expect to come to this campus and be treated like that, especially in a forum that says it's dealing with the problem of racism." DiLapi, however, said the group had not been accepting members, white or black, since the beginning of the year when the support group was formed. She added that an advertisement for the group's meeting, placed in the Campus Events section of The Daily Pennsylvanian, was a mistake. In addition, DiLapi said that the support group was formed expressly for white women, and it would have been inappropriate for individuals of other races to attend. "Before we can enter into meaningful dialogue about culture and racism, we have to examine ourselves first and examine those issues," she said. "We believe racism is a white problem and we have a responsibility as white women in particular to do what we can to eradicate racism." Makenta was both disgusted and confused by the group's policy. "How can they deal with African people and not hear what the African people has to say?" he asked. "Here's this white women's organization against racism practicing racism." DiLapi said that because the Women's Center has other programs designed specifically for black women, her actions were not racist. But Makenta said he could not understand how WWAR is allowed to bar blacks from attending the event. "It seems to me wrong philosophically and politically that this group that meets on a university campus and in a university building, whose funding includes federal and state funds, can be allowed to meet in exclusivity of black people," he said. The University's Handbook of Rules and Regulations includes no definitions or rules concerning support groups. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said after the incident that the affair was probably just a misunderstanding. He said the Women's Center has maintained a good reputation on campus for fighting racism.

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