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Court strikes down Texas' affirmative action
All around the country, legislators, courts and citizens are attacking affirmative action. Recently, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the University of Texas' affirmative action-based admissions program. The court ignored an obvious point -- affirmative action provides necessary opportunities for minorities in America.In Hopwood v. Texas, three men and a woman -- all of whom are white -- claimed they had been rejected from the Texas law school despite better test scores than some admitted black and Hispanic students. A federal district court judge ruled against the four students, but a Fifth Circuit Court panel overturned the initial decision. The panel claimed the use of race "is no more rational on its own terms than would be choices based upon the physical size or blood type of applicants." With this decision, the court dangerously ignored legal precedent.
In the short time since the civil rights movement, the economic gap between
minorities and society in general has narrowed -- but it is still significant.
As a result, many minority students are forced to attend sub-par schools with
few economical resources. Affirmative action in college admissions can provide
opportunities for these students. Moreover, students who benefit from
affirmative action would provide role models and hope for younger students in
their communities.
But minorities are not the only beneficiaries of affirmative action. Diversity on campus is essential to the success of all students. A marketing major, for instance, would not relate easily to the majority of Americans who are not upper-class whites. A diverse campus affords all students a better chance of success upon graduation -- providing for diversity is only possible through affirmative action.
Many of the barriers to minorities erected before the civil rights movement are still present today. Ample evidence proves the existence of a glass ceiling -- a point in the corporate structure nearly impossible for minorities to be promoted beyond. Until American society reaches a color-blind state, affirmative action must be maintained to ensure that minorities can get a foothold in corporate America.
Affirmative action programs at the University might be at risk when the state Legislature reconvenes this month. Rep. Penny Crissman (R-Rochester) introduced a bill that would prohibit employers and universities from altering criteria for admission and promotion depending upon racial status. The legislation could reduce the number of students of color in state universities. The University has been a model for diversity nationwide. Eliminating affirmative action would not only negatively affect minorities, but the diverse experience of all University students.
Affirmative action is sorely -- and indefinitely -- needed. In Texas and Michigan, recent court decisions and legislative proposals attacked programs aimed at increasing diversity in schools and in the workplace. In the future, affirmative action might be unnecessary -- but for now, it must be upheld to keep minorities on a level playing field.