Malena Amusa

U. of Wisconsin upholds affirmative action

After polling community sentiment, the University of Wisconsin System regents voted Friday 16-0 to uphold academic-, class-, and yes, race-based admissions. Some conservatives claim the policy undermines the state’s ban on race-based tests in admissions. But of the schools’ 160,000 students, most are white and financially well-off. This policy is meant to advance diversity on campus, regents say.

Clearly, this is a blow, however slight, to conservative lobbyist Ward Connerly’s state-to-state campaign to illegalize affirmative action. But to win this rumble, the pro-Aff Action people have to dig below the surface reasoning of “diversity” to fight on solid footing.

Doesn’t the real case for affirmative action lie in its ability to provide opportunities to historically and perpetually under-served communities blocked by a cycle of de jure and de facto racism? Or are we only trying to decorate the halls of colleges and businesses with color?

Posted at 7:20 AM, Feb 12, 2007 in News | Permalink | View Comments