A Baruch Professor Lectures on Race And Education

TAMIMENT TALK

A history professor from Baruch College, Clarence Taylor, spoke at the New York Labor History Association at New York University's Tamiment Library recently.

He spoke on the New York City Teachers Union (which existed between 1916 and 1964) and its position on race during World War II. Mr. Taylor described how World War II changed the context of the struggle against racism. By 1942, racism was seen as un-American, and the union couched its struggle against racism in terms of American democratic values.

The Brooklyn-born academic has an educational background that highlights the best of Gotham's institutions: He earned his undergraduate degree at Brooklyn College, his master's degree from New York University, and his Ph.D. in American history at the Graduate School of the City University of New York. Columbia University Press published two of his books, one titled "The Black Churches of Brooklyn," based on his dissertation, and another on the struggle to integrate New York City schools. He has also written a study of black religious intellectuals.

In his talk at the Tamiment Library, Mr. Taylor described two of the many influences shaping the Teachers Union's outlook on race during the war: the emergence of intercultural education and cultural anthropology in the 1930s.

By the late 1930s, the Teachers Union had embraced both the methods and language of intercultural perspectives in the curriculum. Mr. Taylor described the pioneering influence of Rachel Davis DuBois, a white Quaker born in 1892 and raised in southern New Jersey, in promoting intercultural education. Her life was changed after a meeting with George Washington Carver in the 1920s. She was furious the during the course of her own education, she had not learned about him. When she met W.E.B. Dubois, the African-American intellectual joked that she and he could be related (though despite sharing the same last name, they weren't).

Rachel DuBois organized workshops and assemblies for schools to promote intergroup harmony and understanding. She was a consultant on the radio program "Americans All - Immigrants All," a series highlighting the contributions that ethnic and racial groups have made to America.

Turning to the subject of cultural anthropology, Mr. Taylor described how a professor from Columbia, Franz Boas, opposed the notion of racial superiority. With the rise of Hitler, Boas publicly condemned the "Nordic nonsense" of Aryan theories. He traveled throughout America and became so dedicated to the cause that one of his prominent students, Ruth Benedict, said that Boas had given up good science for good work.

In attendance were Nylha's president, Irwin Yellowitz; the head of the Tamiment Library, Michael Nash; Nylha's secretary, Gail Malmgreen, who is associate head of archival collections at the Tamiment; a former president of the Fur and Leather Workers Union, Henry Foner; Nylha's treasurer, Philoine Fried, the daughter of labor leaders Sidney Hillman and Bessie Abramowitz Hillman; a graduate student from the University of Pennsylvania, Tina Collins, who is researching New York City teachers from 1920s to the 1980s; the communications director of the Jewish Labor Committee, Arieh Lebowitz, and a professor of history at City College Center for Worker Education, Stephen Leberstein, who led a class introducing labor studies immediately after the lecture in an adjoining conference room.

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HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Photographer Aubrey Reuben was feted Tuesday at the National Arts Club as incoming president of the Outer Critics Circle. Publicist Sy Presten was instrumental in the idea of having Irving Fields write a parody of "Give My Regards To Broadway." Maureen McGovern sang: Give my regards to Aubrey The President of the O.C.C. He's got the charm and personality On that we all agree He'll do the best for the actors To keep them working constantly Give my regards to Aubrey The President of the O.C.C.

Mr. Fields played the piano as the crowd joined in singing in the second chorus.

Among those attending were playwright Terrence McNally; actress Tina Louise; actress Marian Seldes; the president of the Shubert Organization, Phil Smith, with his wife, playwright Tricia Walsh Smith; supermodel Irina Pantaeva; Michael Benjamin Washington; Cindy Guyer, who has modeled for more than 2,000 romance-novel covers; producer Stewart Lane; comedian Jamie DeRoy, and a producer of the Tony-winning musical "Annie Get Your Gun," Irving Welzer.

After the song, Ms. McGovern was whisked by limo to her Broadway play, "Little Women," which had a 7 p.m. curtain.

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FOLLOW THAT LEMUR

The American Museum of Natural History hosted a panel in the Linder Theater on robotics as part of the "Art/Science Collision" series. Panelist Eric Singer was described as founder a group of artists and technologists called "Lemur." The acronym does not refer to the mammals found largely in Madagascar that are related to monkeys. It stands for "League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots."

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THE SPIRIT OF WRITING

Nancy Rubin Stuart gave a slide show on her book "The Reluctant Spiritualist: The Life of Maggie Fox" (Harcourt) at the National Arts Club. The book tells of the Fox sisters, Maggie and Katy, who lived upstate and said they had contact to spirits beyond the grave. The author described the ensuing spiritualism craze of the 19th century. She also described Maggie Fox's disappointment over her relationship with Arctic explorer Elisha Kane.

Ms. Stuart told a humorous anecdote before beginning her talk. She said a friend of hers tried to reach St. Peter in a decidedly modern way: He e-mailed the man at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter responded and invited him on a virtual tour. "Let's go downstairs," St. Peter said. Her friend saw flames. St. Peter then showed him where writers hang out: in a room chained to desks. A big clock stood in the room, and a gong rang, marking three hours until deadline.

"Let's go upstairs," St. Peter said next. The screen changed, and it showed heaven. There were flowers and sunshine and people eating grapes. St. Peter then showed him where the writers hang out. They were in a beautiful room, chained to long desks. An angel descended and played on its harp announcing three hours till deadline. "Now listen," her friend protested. "I don't see a difference" between the two.

"Oh, no," St. Peter replied. "You don't understand. Here, the writers get published."

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FELINE OR DELICATESSEN?

On Tuesday at Hemmerdinger Hall at New York University, Pete Hamill spoke on immigrants' impact on New York City. He said a friend once told him about going to see "Cats" on Broadway. Mistaking the word for "Katz," Mr. Hamill said, "What? A play about a deli?"