Prof. presents research on inequality

By Anna Clark

Daily Staff Reporter

"We drove 10 hours to be here," said a University of Virginia law student before adding her story of racial injustice she has experienced in higher education to the growing crowd Sunday in the Michigan League's Vandenberg Room.

She, along with students and faculty from the University of California schools and the University of Michigan, gathered to hear UCLA sociology Prof. Walter Allen present his yearlong research on racial and gender inequalities in higher education.

Allen was one of several speakers in the Summit of the New Civil Rights Movement, sponsored by the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary.

Allen, who also is an expert witness in the Law School trial, said he used surveys, focus groups, individual interviews and archival investigation to specifically focus his research on the University of Michigan's undergraduate and Law School students. He used data compiled from the University of Michigan as well as UC-Berkeley, Harvard and Michigan State, the top feeder schools to the University of Michigan's Law School.

The "campus race and gender climate is negative and this negative climate consistently negative consequences," Allen said, explaining that this was the first of the three pillars of his findings.

The second pillar addressed "covert racism" which Allen said is difficult to measure or point out but is still "calculated, systematic and in the spirit of reinforcing white supremacy."

Finally, Allen noted that while racism, sexism and classism are distinct entities, they are interrelated and "feed off each other."

Allen began his research in October 1999 and concluded in October 2000.

After presenting his work, Allen opened the floor for the audience to share their experiences or thoughts, resulting in almost an hour of voices reiterating instances of racial and gender injustice and enumerating ways to fight past them.

Rackham student L'Heureux Lewis said he appreciated the scientific evidence Allen presented.

"He presented empirical evidence towards the inequality in academia," Lewis said. "That's crucial to an understanding of inequality."

Engineering freshman Mark Hutchinson said the discussion following Allen's presentation helped him realize the breadth of inequality.

"I learned that this is much more of a national problem than I thought it was," Hutchinson said. "It really surprised me that with all I've heard and read about these schools, and with their reputation, that this is still such a problem."