“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King spoke these words in 1963, and they still resonate today. Affirmative action programs were established to create this very type of equality, but have they brought us closer to Dr. King’s dream or hindered it?
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Do We Still Need Affirmative Action?
Affirmative Action is a Critical Tool
At the Civil Rights Project we commissioned research and published
five books related to this topic. We are convinced that the Supreme
Court was correct in finding that racial diversity was a compelling interest of colleges and universities, that it added depth and understanding to the education of all students, that it creates critical opportunities for students of color who have been denied
equal preparation by inferior segregated schools, and that it prepares
students to live and work successfully in multiracial communities as
well as strengthens leadership in our major institutions and in
our public life.
For an in-depth look at the current status of racial equity in higher
education in a state system, see our new report, BUILDING ON SUCCESS,
reporting what the state of Kentucky has accomplished and the reasons
why affirmative action remains essential in creating equal opportunity for higher education. This and other research can be found at
civilrightsproject.ucla.edu.
- Gary Orfield
October 27, 2008 3:01PM
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Affirmative action is forced racism
. Affirmative action is racism. This is a form or racial quotas---found in all sorts of evil societies - Communist Russia, Nazi Germany...these 'civil rights' so obviously racist its almost silly to argue. To give rights to private property to some, but no to others, based on ancestry, or genetics, or color - is pure racism and pure evil. Any man or institution that gives this un-earned advantage to a group does not deserve rights him or herself.
- selfish November 18, 2008 7:06PM
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More Equal Citizens2
In another discussion...
Society: "Can the Obama presidency end racism in America?"
The discussion drifted off topic and am (dual) posting a reply here.
***
RE: "if no one captured stats on people's race or heritage, we might never know if..."
"...some people who want to keep tabs on stuff like that."
"That would be an important thing to know..."
Why?
How about if these "stats" were completely done away with, then...
"with the same grades and standardized tests scores"
...would really mean something and the truly qualified would be selected
All it does is perpetuate the divide and make some citizens more equal than others.
For higher education-after meeting/exceeding entry scores,the only Q's should be:
Are you an American citizen?
Are you a resident of said state/county?
...which are used for tuition costs
Then can apply to 3rd party organizations for tuition assistance based on ethnicity and other criteria.
The schools are in business to educate their students for the betterment of society.
I've heard that the Obama campaign has "lots" of money leftover and it's being given as
bonus's to the staffers. Why not being given to/starting up 3rd party org for educational
opportunities of said individuals?
RE: "With no way to measure racism..."
Believe your confusing race/color of skin with ethnicity/heritage.
Just because I'm of Polish/Italian heritage... does not indicate the color of my skin
Racism/sexisim/etc is illegal and all stats pertaining to should also be.
===
This is all "needed" for equal opportunities argument...
I went to:
...a public grade school
...a public high school
...a public 2yr tech college on the GI bill
I'm now classified by the incoming administration as "rich" (based on some arbitrary
income amount)...
Now tell me how many others in this nation do not have the same opportunities that I had/used?
I spent my time and energy, as an individual, on working and getting an education...
...not mislead/deceived by the rhetoric that this race/heritage requires this and
deserves that. Each individual makes their own "bed".
Like the current automaker bailout debate...
...Temporary help is earned, not permanently blindly given
***
To this topic... as stated in multiple previous posts-
for higher education, it's the preparation, roles models and K-12 system at fault.
The symptoms are still trying to be fixed, after how many years?, and not the actual "illness".
- Joe6Pack
November 24, 2008 8:33PM
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Discussion Moved
Look I was arguing that I think it makes sense to keep track of people's race and heritage so we know if any discrimination is happening or not.
That's the type of data that would really help me understand how/if Affirmative Action is working or not.
In general, I believe that in the US, everyone should have an equal opportunity. When that's happening, we don't need programs. When that's not happening we need to be aware. Personally, I think that the type of racism that used to exist, where qualified candidates were getting turned away based on their race has really declined. The inequality we see now is that people who are poorer tend not to have the same opportunities. The way to combat that in my opinion is to improve public schools and make sure that standardized tests and teachers are as unbiased as possible.
- GreenLove
November 25, 2008 11:19AM
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A critical tool, like a hammer when fixing a car.
So, you say that affirmative action is a "critical tool". That "it added depth and understanding to the education of all students, that it creates critical opportunities for students of color who have been denied equal preparation by inferior segregated schools". Are you still claiming that schools are segregated? That Whites are given more than Blacks? Where are these segregated schools, I can never seem to find them.
Oh well, I am happy to see that collages and universities are considering my overall well being by hoping to submerge me in "depth" and "understanding of education". I was unaware that all it took was an African American, an Asian American, a Hispanic, or Native American to bring this about (and here I thought that it actually took a mind, somebody who truly gained their value and worth). That must be it. Why would a collage do use affirmative action if not for this? Grants? Funding? Donations? No, heavens no.
Tell me, do you believe that a government official (we'll say the President) should make the same as a custodian? Clearly one has done MUCH MORE work than that of the other, has strived and toiled to achive what they currently have. Should the rewards (payment) be the same? What is it that you believe in?
- ckidwell7098
March 9, 2009 4:23PM
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