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University of Michigan Regent Mark Bernstein, a prominent Farmington Hills attorney who has three UM degrees, pulls a take-back in response to what he calls "a complicated and challenging moment."
Bernstein and his wife withdraw a $3-million gift to his alma mater support a new $10-million multicultural center amid students' concerns about the removal of the only African-American building name on campus, Kim Kozlowski writes at The Detroit News.
Mark Bernstein: "Voices on this campus expressed deep, heartfelt concern about what was happening."
Construction for the new center is slated to begin this fall on South State Street. It will replace a nearly 50-year-old cultural center named after William Monroe Trotter, an early activist for racial justice.
With the sizable Bernstein donation, Trotter's name would have been replaced as the building was renamed Bernstein-Bendit Hall. They lawyer's wife is Rachel Bendit.
Bernstein is president and managing partner of the Sam Bernstein Law Firm, founded by his father. He earned a bachelor of arts degree at UM in 1993, followed by a law degree and master's of business administration in 1996
UM President Mark Schlissel announced the pulled gift at the start of Thursday's Board of Regents meeting, the first chaired by Bernstein as he rotates into that role.
"I have deep respect for Mark and Rachel’s efforts to listen carefully to [students'] concerns, and to engage in thoughtful discussions about the issue with community members across campus," Schlissel said at the meeting, according to a text posted by UM. "They told me yesterday they are withdrawing their naming gift in order to preserve the William Monroe Trotter name on the new building that will be home of the Trotter Multicultural Center."
The university also posts a statement from Bernstein (below), who calls the situation "a complicated and challenging moment."
Trotter, who lived from 1872-1934, was a Boston real estate businessman and editor-publisher of the Boston Guardia, which he founded.
The Totter Multicultural Center currently is on South Washtenaw Avenue, far from the main campus diagonal. "It's a bit off the beaten path, but Trotter is definitely #WorthTheWalk!" says its website. The Black Student Union and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality have long sought a more accessible location.
Mark Bernstein's full statement:
'This is a complicated and challenging moment'
I want to address, on behalf of my wife, Rachel Bendit, and myself, our decision regarding our intended gift to the University related to Bernstein-Bendit Hall and the Trotter Multicultural Center.
Rachel and I have long seen ourselves as part of the multicultural fabric of our country and this university community. Our experience in America, our commitment to civil rights and our dedication to social justice motivated us to direct our philanthropy to support these efforts here on our beloved campus.
In our increasingly divided and divisive society, we feel not just motivated but obligated to stand publicly for a broad and inclusive approach to multiculturalism.
That is why we made this gift. It was about enhancing and preserving Trotter while demonstrating for all to see that multiculturalism in general, and race in particular, are not other people’s issues but a shared responsibility. A message that is more urgent and important today than ever before.
We know and appreciate that this is a complicated and challenging moment.
Once the applause for our gift announcement quieted, we heard something else – voices on this campus that expressed deep, heartfelt concern about what was happening.
Boston businessman, editor and publisher William Monroe Torotter, 1872-1934
It’s been said that “what we learn is more important than what we set out to do.” And this was the case with our gift.
What we believed to be a gift, others felt as a loss. Since the gift announcement we spent time with faculty, students, staff and alumni who shared with us their sense of loss and who expressed their fear that the only African American name on a building at our university would be diminished or erased.
When Leon Howard, a program manager in the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, said that the names on buildings on our campus speak to our students, we heard him and we agreed.
There are hundreds of buildings on this campus and only one – one – Trotter, honors the name of an African American. This is wrong. In Leon’s words, we did not want to silence Trotter – this one, lonely African American voice on our campus. This was, of course, not our intention, but it could have been the result.
Rachel and I agree with the university that our gift be withdrawn.
We will continue to explore alternative approaches for playing a role that advances our shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion on this campus and beyond.
