We've heard over and over again that affirmative action is nothing more than reverse discrimination. What we haven't heard, however, are the real implications of this law.
Affirmative action is a law about ensuring access for all people into higher education, government and business sectors. It is about breaking down institutional barriers that were established with the creation of this nation that still plague us today.
For all of you already shaking your head in disbelief, maybe you are unfamiliar with the disparities in our K-12 educational system. The fact of the matter is that not everyone receives the same education. Unfortunately, schools that best prepare their students to pass the tests, fill out the right forms, make those important phone calls and get you into the right college, are located in areas that are predominantly upper-class white districts.
All the while, schools in impoverished districts struggle with even the basics such as computers, textbooks and AP courses. Coincidentally, these districts have a disproportionate ratio of people of color, especially African-Americans and Latinos. It is no coincidence. Because race is a factor in educational opportunity, race must be a factor in admission.
There is a tracking system that exists in our nation making affirmative action necessary to open the doors so that all people have access to the same opportunities. Affirmative action is not a policy that solely benefits people of color, but also one that greatly benefits women and disabled people'which in turn benefits all of us. Today affirmative action has come under attack from conservative organizations who are using the wealth that they have gained from this country's inequalities to further their agendas and continue the system of segregation in our educational system. The truth is that people are uneducated about this issue and scared about losing the power that they feel should be automatically granted to them as a birthright. Isn't this what legacy admissions are all about?
We need to move away from this system of admissions and maintain affirmative action'a system that creates equal access for all people. Is it not enough that there are a disproportionate number of people of color in prisons rather than in higher education? Is it not enough that women get paid less for the same amount and quality of work they do as men? Is it not enough that there are very few visible disabled people on our campus?
We ask you to critically examine the intersections of race, class, gender and accessibility to education and help create a nation where all people are included within our system of education, business and governance.
If you still don't understand where we're coming from, come to our campus-wide dialogue. When? Today! Where? Chadbourne Lounge at 4 p.m. Come, learn and express your feelings about affirmative action.
