affirmative action on trial - today in dc (no joke)

[lola desire]

Law student groups head to D.C. protest

By Mer Eckstut
April 01, 2003

As the Supreme Court began hearing arguments today on the two cases challenging University of Michigan's affirmative action policies, Penn Law student groups showed that the legislation would not be overturned without a fight.

The conference, which was held yesterday in Silverman Hall, attempted to build a unified front in the face of affirmative action criticism.

The student groups organized two buses to attend today's pro-affirmative action protest in Washington, D.C.

"I think it's appropriate for us to show our support," said David Love, a third-year Law student and President of Penn's Black Law Students Association.

"We are here because we know what the future looks like without diversity, and we don't like what we see," he added, pointing to the University of California.

The school, which stopped using race in its admissions process, has seen a significant reduction in the number of minority students in attendance. This past year, he said, Berkeley's School of Law admitted one black student.

Vinay Harpalani, a Daily Pennsylvaniancolumnist who works for the "By Any Means Necessary" civil rights group -- which organized today's Washington D.C. march -- spoke next.

This is "the most monumental march" since Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington, he said.

Maria Gonzalez, a third-year Law student who is the president of the Latin American Law Student's Association, then took the podium to emphasize that all minority communities must unite.

Although the number of Latinos admitted to Penn's Law School rose this year while the number of blacks admitted fell, she said that her organization was supportive of the pro-affirmative action efforts.

"It's entirely too dangerous for us to say, 'It's not my problem,'" she said.

Representatives from Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia's Black Clergy and the Anti-Defamation League also spoke, each stressing a different aspect of the civil rights movement.

A question-and-answer session followed the speakers.

When asked about the effectiveness of grassroots organizations in promoting change, a variety of responses were given -- Harpalani answered that grassroots efforts have brought about every major social change that has occurred in the 20th century.

Zazy Lopez, a third-year Law student and secretary of the Black Law Students Association, took a slightly different approach, arguing that grassroots organizations must educate the community and work with political and legal efforts in order to be effective.

Responding to a question about the College Republicans' "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" -- cookies were sold at different prices depending on the buyer's race -- Harpalani, citing today's march, said, "We have more important things to worry about."

source (http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/04/01/3e8944075043a)

[lola desire]

background + U of M source (http://www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/research/)

[rob gregory]

Peace.

Some one please explain this to me:

I was reading an article in yesterdays Los Angeles Times about a young woman who abandoned her medical career because she did not get into the school of her choice. Naturally, she had all of the qualifications.

She decided to sue the university for discrimination be cause she claims that non-whites were given preferential treatment.

Here is my only question: When you apply to a school and are not accepted (for what ever reason) can you re-apply at another time?

[liL Ray]

This is a hugh case......this will decide how this country will go forward for generations to come.

[f0reverneverm0re]

really, are there institutions and businesses and people out there who are waiting for the nod that will tell them they don't have to hire the "minorities" anymore?

(hmmm, i wonder how Clarence Thomas will vote?...)

[(Im)poster]

A friend sent this to me last week. It's from Newsday in New York.

January 17, 2003


"To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say, well done. And to the C students, I say you too can be president of the United States."

- George W. Bush,

Yale commencement address,

33 years after graduation


He was a C student at Phillips Andover.

He got a not-so-stellar 1206 on his SATs - 566 verbal, 640 math. That was a full 180 points below the median score for the Yale University class of '68.

But boola-boola for him!

In the fall of 1964, George W. Bush was welcomed inside Yale's ivy-covered walls as a "legacy admittee."

And why not?

The wisecracking Texas teen had something far more powerful than dumb ol' test scores or silly grades. He had a father, George H.W. Bush, who was a rich and prominent Yale alum. And a grandfather, too. Prescott S. Bush, the aristocratic Connecticut senator, was even a Yale trustee.

A merit decision by a highly selective admissions committee? Not even close.

If this wasn't affirmative action, nothing is.

Affirmative action for rich, white kids whose daddy and granddaddy also went to Yale.

And of course, this particular unlevel playing field denied a place to some higher-scoring, harder-working student who made a single, tragic mistake - not being born as well as the Bushes.

Tough luck for him or her.

But wait!

Wasn't that just the kind of squeezed-out student that now-President Bush was supposedly speaking for last night when his Justice Department filed a brief with the Supreme Court challenging the affirmative-action program at the University of Michigan?

First, Bush inaccurately derided the Michigan plan as "quotas."

Then he got all moralistic, saying that giving a leg up to black or Latino applicants is "divisive, unfair and impossible to square with the Constitution." That kind of system, he complained, "unfairly rewards or penalizes prospective students."

It's unfair?

Unfair like being ushered into the Ivy League by Poppy and Gramps?

Unfair like getting into Yale with a 1206 and Cs?

Unfair like having an entire educational career - and much of a professional life - delivered by rich-boy affirmative action?

And in W's case, the special boosts didn't begin or end with the admissions committee at Yale.

Had the future president's name been, say, "Arbusto" instead of Bush, would he even have made it as far as Andover, the tony prep school that was also up to its crinkled nose in Bushes?

At Andover, Bush never got his name on the honor roll, even one term. The published record shows that on his very first essay assignment, the future president's grade was zero.

"Disgraceful," the teacher wrote in bright red ink.

With a prep-school record this sad, his college counselor suggested, maybe he ought consider applying to a safety school in case things didn't work out at Yale. Bush chose the University of Texas. But he never had to fall back on Austin, the Bush name packed such a wallop at Yale.

And once classes started in New Haven, this third-generation Yalie continued not to impress academically.

Oh, his easy manner won him plenty of friends on campus. He was active in his fraternity, rising eventually to president. He made the cheerleading squad and the super-secret Skull and Bones society.

But there is little evidence he did much book-cracking along the way.

Freshman year, his grades put him in the 21st percentile of his class, meaning four-fifths of his classmates did better than the Future Leader of the Free World.

And in the years that followed, young W never pulled his average above a C. His college transcript, in an eye-popping leak to The New Yorker magazine, showed a 73 in Introduction to the American Political System and a 71 in Introduction to International Relations, to cite two examples that could mean something in hindsight.

Now, none of this is any cause for shame.

Lots of people do poorly in college and succeed grandly in life.

And a crucial lesson was obviously learned. The playing field is never level, whatever people say. Just make sure the tilt is your way.

As it was for George W. Bush.

His own family-sponsored affirmative-action plan kept pulling through.

Despite the Yale grades, he was accepted at the Harvard Business School. Despite repeated business failures, cronies of his father's kept bailing him out.

His big-jackpot investment, the Texas Rangers baseball team, was pretty much a gift from pals of his dad.

And the rest, as they say in the Ivy League, is Bush family history.

You don't think some black kid in Michigan would have a problem with that?

Email: henican@newsday.com

Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.

[Querck]

Originally posted by liL Ray:
This is a hugh case......this will decide how this country will go forward for generations to come. Yes, it is a huge case, and my prediction is that affirmative action will be overturned. Sad, but most likely true. The only hope is that they will decide to honor their past decision (Bakke), but some of the justices clearly have an agenda, and Rehnquist wants his legacy to be as the chief justice who presided over overturning AA.

[formerly known as kenspank]

our goal should be to empower all of the youth and not make them compete amongst each other so a precious few become eligble to inherit power.

quality of life is overwhelmingly in the favor of the rich. however, most people are too scared to go after them.

[mhd]

Originally posted by PhoreAyem:
Peace.

Some one please explain this to me:

I was reading an article in yesterdays Los Angeles Times about a young woman who abandoned her medical career because she did not get into the school of her choice. Naturally, she had all of the qualifications.

She decided to sue the university for discrimination be cause she claims that non-whites were given preferential treatment.

Here is my only question: When you apply to a school and are not accepted (for what ever reason) can you re-apply at another time? yes

[Koffy Brown]

I know a couple of people who went to this...The trial before this one was held here in Cincy last year I believe...this is very serious...I just wish more people would educate themselves about the importance of such issues and issues like affirmative action...

[rob gregory]

Originally posted by mhd:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by PhoreAyem:
Peace.

Some one please explain this to me:

I was reading an article in yesterdays Los Angeles Times about a young woman who abandoned her medical career because she did not get into the school of her choice. Naturally, she had all of the qualifications.

She decided to sue the university for discrimination be cause she claims that non-whites were given preferential treatment.

Here is my only question: When you apply to a school and are not accepted (for what ever reason) can you re-apply at another time? yes </font>[/QUOTE]Thanks.

[SHEIK YERBOUTI]

Does anyone know the name of the 'foundation' that actually funded this lawsuit? I believe they, in turn, were once funded by some other 'foundation' that was about 1 step away from being WP.

Fairness, my ass.

[LEONARD REMIX RROY]

A group of highschool students left Chicago yesterday enroute to that event.

[f0reverneverm0re]

Originally posted by dannyboy:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by liL Ray:
This is a hugh case......this will decide how this country will go forward for generations to come. Yes, it is a huge case, and my prediction is that affirmative action will be overturned. Sad, but most likely true. The only hope is that they will decide to honor their past decision (Bakke), but some of the justices clearly have an agenda, and Rehnquist wants his legacy to be as the chief justice who presided over overturning AA. </font>[/QUOTE]okay, so what will be the results?

on a more positive note, was in the grocery store and heard:

Steppin' Out (Joe Jackson)

Now -
The mist across the window hides the lines
But nothing hides the colour of the lights that shine
Electricity so fine
Look and dry your eyes

We -
So tired of all the darkness in our lives
With no more angry words to say
Can come alive
Get into a car and drive
To the other side

Me babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light

We -
Are young but getting old before our time
We'll leave the T.V. and the radio behind
Don't you wonder what we'll find
Steppin out tonight

You -
Can dress in pink and blue just like a child
And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile
We'll be there in just a while
If you follow me

Me babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light

[music]

yes you can re-apply to graduate,law and medical schools.

affirmative action has never benefitted blacks as much as white women. read the reports and research. companies rather give contracts to white women owned businesses.

education- for years white students were getting special treament if their parents were graduates from the school which they applied to. the schools were nyu,harvard,yale,princeton,penn state,columbia,u of .n.c chappel hill,un. of chicago, and duke law ,medical and graduate schools.

[ April 01, 2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: music ]

[lola desire]

Originally posted by music:
yes you can re-apply to graduate,law and medical schools.

affirmative action has never benefitted blacks as much as white women. read the reports and research. companies rather give contracts to white women owned businesses. this is true... at this point, i would venture to say that white women would still be favored if affirmative action were overturned. if this piece of legislation is overturned, would we continue to see enrollment / hiring practices current levels of blacks and latinos? let's take a look at california... :rolleyes:

[SHEIK YERBOUTI]

Originally posted by lola desire:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by music:
yes you can re-apply to graduate,law and medical schools.

affirmative action has never benefitted blacks as much as white women. read the reports and research. companies rather give contracts to white women owned businesses. this is true... at this point, i would venture to say that white women would still be favored if affirmative action were overturned. if this piece of legislation is overturned, would we continue to see enrollment / hiring practices current levels of blacks and latinos? let's take a look at california... :rolleyes: </font>[/QUOTE]That's why I questioned WHO funded this lawsuit. The groups involved are obviously right-wing and one group has been historically hostile to blacks, etc. You can see the agenda at work when you see who's paying and playing to win.

[mhd]

actually, at issue is the admissions policy at the university of Michigan, and the source of funding is not all that relevant. the key issue is proving the point that affirmative action that achieves diversity in higher education and the workplace is good for business.

[floorgasm]

i read an interesting article about how affirmative action works against asians because their grades and achievements are in line with those of caucasian students. the article states that affirmative action works primarily for black and hispanic citizens and that it doesn't really rectify the problem of a culturally biased system. black and hispanic citizens become more represented in u.s. schools and the workplace but asians get shafted.

i know much of the discrepency in representation stems from socio-economics. but is there a solution to cultural underrepresentation that doesn't involve straight-up affirmative action? i don't really have an answer (affirmative action doesn't exist in canada), but i'm curious as what the esteemed board members think...

[lola desire]

Originally posted by floorgasm:
i read an interesting article about how affirmative action works against asians because their grades and achievements are in line with those of caucasian students. at the very white univ. of illinois, asian students could not apply for minority-based aid or programs because they were not concidered a minority. while i was attending, there were more asians in the grad programs than whites.

[SHEIK YERBOUTI]

Originally posted by mhd:
actually, at issue is the admissions policy at the university of Michigan, and the source of funding is not all that relevant. the key issue is proving the point that affirmative action that achieves diversity in higher education and the workplace is good for business. Per my question, this is what I found:

The lawsuits are being funded by the Center for Individual Rights.

The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) is a conservative public interest law firm with links to the Pioneer Fund. CIR is best known for Hopwood v. Texas, the case that struck down affirmative action in higher education in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Hopwood eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court which upheld the lower court ruling against Affirmative Action in 1996. The organization first appeared in the late 1980s taking on anti-environmentalist and anti-media cases. They recently initiated two law suits against affirmative action policies at the University of Michigan.

CIR has gained a reputation as "the legal arm" of the rising anti-PC campaign on campuses. They were introduced to this field of activity in the early 1990s with the help of two Pioneer Fund Grantees - Michael Levin and Linda Gottfredson. CIR subsequently received Pioneer grants for $30,000 (the first was approved as of January 8, 1992). Courtney Leatherman reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education (23 November 1994):

And they in turn were given grants by the Pioneer Fund:

The center has also received $30,000 from the Pioneer Fund, a group that is controversial for its support of studies of possible genetic differences between blacks and whites. You would never know of its gifts by looking at C.I.R.’s financial disclosure statement. They are under the name of the fund’s president, Harry F. Weyher. That is the only gift from a foundation listed that way. [CIR executive director Michael] Greve says the omission of the foundation’s name was an oversight, not an effort to hide anything.

Sorry mhd, but that seems relevant to me.

[mhd]

yes it is relevant, but the source of funding doesn't really get you anywhere. we know who they are and how they feel. identifying the source of funding is effective if you then are able to stake out the moral highground, in these cases both sides command moral high ground (from their respective perpesctives) its no mystery who the funders are

[Fletch]

I know some folk who went to Michigan in the 1980s. The racial hostility at Ann Arbor was insane, according to them. In fact, the tensions, plus the very low minority enrollment, was the reason for a PBS Frontline special in 1989.

Fierce protests by Black students, plus Michigan's bad rap on the PBS special may have prompted UM's administration to go on an agressive afirmative action campaign. If any UM alum are on this board, please confirm or deny this.

And now that campaign is being challenged. I would have loved to seen the white female plaintiff on the stand during trial (if there was one). The fact that she didn't have a back up plan. The fact that she didn't re-apply. The fact that she just gave up her pursuit of medical school altogether. And the claim that she was that harmed by being rejected despite her qualifications. Sorry, but this looks like a classic case of "how dare these niggers get in and not me". And she may have gotten some inside info on UM's admissions practices.

[ April 02, 2003, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: einnod23 ]

[Fletch]

And having made the above statement, it looks like the shift will be from exclusively using race to using economics to determine diversity.

I went to Syracuse mainly on funding on the New York State Higher Education Oppurtunity Program (HEOP). HEOP recruited students from economically underprivledged backgrounds without regard to race. However, looking at the HEOP class that came in with me, it was mostly black (there were quite a few whites and other races/nationalities as well).

The students took a required six-week summer session (Summer Institute), and much of the summer program was structured. One of the benifits of HEOP, in addition to plenty of financial aid, was free counseling sessions at SU's Office of Supportive Services, which administers HEOP at SU.

I will say this: I am not where I'm at today without HEOP!!!! If economic factors to reach diversity are gonna be challenged, then we are in serious trouble. Higher education might as well be an entity with rich, white males if programs like this are taken off the board as well. Peace.

[music]

a.a. does not exclude either race;schools should have a right to it's student body by diversity. because one has good grades doesn't make them a better doctor or lawyer.

look at brother johnnie,he didn't graduate from the best of schools. but he took what he had and ran with it.

the deceased justice marshall graduated from howard law school. at his time there wasn't much funding for black students.

we as a people, black ,brown and white must fight for diversity. it will benefit all of us a united people front.

[ April 01, 2003, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: music ]

[Koffy Brown]

Rather or not Black's are benefitting the most from affirmative action it is still a tool that is needed for us to even have a chance of inclusion...jmo

[music]

we need something to combat racism.

[Koffy Brown]

Originally posted by music:
we need something to combat racism. Yes we do, but racism has exsisted since the diaspora...if it hasn't happened by now...