"In the case of Minister Louis Farrakhan having

called the Jewish religion 'a gutter religion,'
I am bound to disagree with him . . . and the manner in which

it (Farrakhan's statement) was delivered."

Beth El, was disappointed by some aspects. He
wrote a letter to the mayor expressing, among
other things, his concern that a Farrakhan lieu-
tenant publicly stated that marchers were not
only embracing the theme of the event, but also
voicing their support of Mr. Farrakhan.
"Originally, I was deeply troubled by Mayor
Archer's participation," Mr. Kaufman said. "But,
I can now understand that his absence would have
been sorely noticed by his constituency. I'm dis-
appointed he has not disavowed his support of
Farrakhan and Farrakhan's bigotry before his
constituency, but, hopefully, he will do so short-
y."
Mayor Archer said he found Mr. Farrakhan's
message of rebuilding the African American fam-
ily and having respect for women important. He
said he wishes he could "push a button" to change
the Nation of Islam's bigotry.
"But I do think that it is important for a dia-
logue to exist between Mr. Farrakhan and those
members of the Jewish religion who feel or have
the willingness to have a dialogue," Mayor Archer
said. "What I want you to appreciate is: There are
a lot of things that Minister Farrakhan says in
his speeches that resonate very well with the
African-American community."
Those issues, the mayor said, include raising
children in drug-free and alcohol-free environ-
ments.
He also said African-Americans often have been
directed to see the Jewish community as an ex-

ample of how to "pull one's self up by one's boot
straps."
"There are lots of people who have made com-
ments or take positions that I do not agree with
and do not like," he said. "In the case of Minis-
ter Louis Farrakhan having called the Jewish re-
ligion 'a gutter religion,' I am bound to disagree
with him. And I disagree with that type of big-
oted statement or something that is clearly not
true, as well as the manner in which it was de-
livered.
"But having said that, I want you to appreci-
ate the following: When I grew up, I had a healthy
respect for adults and my family. I learned this
respect from my parents and relatives."
It is that respect and lack of concern for fami-
ly values and education in today's world that
makes what Mr. Farrakhan has to say so impor-
tant, the mayor said. Rising crime rates, poverty
and unemployment foster an ear for such a mes-
sage.
"We need a change and a new sense of direc-
tion in terms of who we are in our lives," he said.
"And so when the issue of the Million Man March
came up, the fact that Minister Farrakhan was
the person who called the march ... you have to
understand the issues we face are stronger than
the person who called for the Million Man March.
So I had no problem going to it, and I was de-
lighted that I went."
Mayor Archer continues to hope for improved
relations between blacks and Jews. He believes

the partnership the two enjoyed during the civil-
rights movement fell apart after the 1976 Alan
Bakke case.
Mr. Bakke sued the University of California's
Davis Medical School for denying him admission.
He said he had been discriminated against on
grounds of race, since the school admitted blacks
and other minority students with lower grades.
The school had set aside a quota for minorities,
and the California Supreme Court found the quo-
ta system in violation of the equal protection
clause of the 14th Amendment. Jewish groups
favored the decision.
Black groups argued that without quotas, gains
in college admissions and hiring would be re-
versed.
The case left a residue of bitterness between
blacks and Jews. Jewish groups stressed that they
favored affirmative action programs, but opposed
racial and ethnic quotas as a means of compen-
sating for past discrimination against minorities.
Mayor Archer said blacks did not understand
what the word "quota" meant to Jews.
"We were historical friends in the civil-rights
movement, riding on buses and doing everything
together, including getting beaten and hit," May-
or Archer said. "All of a sudden, there was a strain
to that closeness. I don't remember if Bakke was
the principal issue here or how it started to divide
us. But it has not stopped people like me from

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