The following is condensed from a speech last spring to a conference on Race, Research and Education, held in Chicago at an African-American symposium sponsored by the Chicago Urban League and the Spencer Foundation.
Dr. Mostafa Hefny, to whom the following letter is addressed, has begun to learn about the global system of classifying human beings and about its links to education. The letter is as follows:
Dear Mr. Hefny:
Be advised that the Michigan Department of Education collects racial and ethnic data as prescribed in Directive No. 15, "Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting." This directive provides standard classification for record keeping, collection, and presentations of data on race and ethnicity in Federal program administrative reporting and statistical activities.
According to this Directive a white person is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa or the Middle East. Since you come from Egypt (a North African and Middle Eastern country) you are white, not black.