Affirmative action foe to speak tonight at League

Ward Connerly, a key spokesperson for California's Prop. 209 - the ballot initiative that outlawed affirmative action in the state of California - will speak tonight in the League Ballroom at 7:30.

Connerly served on the University of California's Board of Regents when it voted to end its use of affirmative action in its admissions processes in 1996 and currently chairs the California Civil Rights Initiative.

Members of Students for America, the campus organization sponsoring Ward's visit, said they hope his visit will give the University an opportunity to hear some dissenting views on affirmative action.

Business junior Nicholas Kirk, the president of Students for America, said he looks forward to welcoming to campus the man "who destroyed affirmative action in the California system."

"I am excited basically because given the current lawsuit and Ward's work out in California, this University deserves to hear an anti-affirmative action viewpoint," Kirk said.

This past fall, the Center for Individual Rights filed lawsuits against the College of Literature, Science and the Arts and the Law School targeting their use of race as a factor in their admissions processes.

Kirk also said he hopes Connerly will state Rep. Deborah Whyman's (R-Canton) initiative to end affirmative action statewide, which is similar to California's Prop. 209.

Lester Monts, associate provost for academic and multicultural affairs, said he is unsure of the reception Connerly will receive on campus.

"Free speech is a hallmark of our democracy. I believe Mr. Connerly has the right to speak here and anywhere else in our land," Monts said. "However, he should know that his opinion may not be well-received at the University of Michigan."

In preparation for Ward's visit, campus organizations that support the University's affirmative action policies have been solidifying plans to stage a protest before the event.

Members of United for Affirmative Action, an umbrella organization that includes student groups such as the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action by Any Means Necessary, the Black Student Union and Alianza plan to meet on the Diag at 5:30 p.m. to march to the Michigan League, where they will picket the speech.

BAMN member and LSA senior Jessica Curtin said supporters of affirmative action should take Connerly's visit very seriously.

"This is a tactic the right wing is using to advance their agenda of resegregation," Curtin said. "We want to make it crystal clear that Ward Connerly does not speak for us. He does not represent our campus, and he does not speak for blacks, women or minorities."

DPS spokesperson Elizabeth Hall said she is not anticipating any specific problems at the event this evening.

"We're aware of the event, and we will be available if we're needed," Hall said.

03-18-98