Movie

The purpose of this movie is to not only educate people on what affirmative action is and why we need it, but also to draw attention to the visibility of the entire issue. Many people don’t recognize the underlying issues and behaviors that contribute to the real problem at hand, discrimination. This problem is sometimes completely hidden to some people because of where they live and the way they grew up. The reality is that whether we can see it or not, discrimination still exists. This video also clears up some facts about affirmative action. I hope that after watching this video, people will be more aware of the things they say and the way they view others. Certain attitudes and actions keep discrimination in our society. If we continue to discriminate, we must also continue to have affirmative action.

Follow this link to view the video:

http://www.mydeo.com/videodownload.asp?YID=547&CID=184210

This video included information from the following sources:

http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS121/images/Slave_Family.jpg

http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2006/fall/images/stories/segregation_01.jpg

http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t012/T012714A.jpg

http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t028/T028160A.jpg

http://www.dctvny.org/video/stills/PROTV_voices_of_the_homeless.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_pS05t7liw

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1.html

One WSU perspective

A WSU undergraduate responses to an email regarding the topic of affirmative action in the college admissions process.  Her opinions offer insightful perspectives on how to approach this issue and helps people to understand the importance of affirmative action.

1. What are your first thoughts that come to mind when you think about affirmative action?  

What pops in my head first is that affirmative action is outlawed in the state of Washington so its always a mystery as to why people (specifically those against it) tend to argue about it. As for the thoughts that enter my head is that of anger. Affirmative Action is yet another policy that was implemented due to the fact that past policies ie Emancipation Proclamation, Equal Employment Act, and many other acts were never used. This is just another policy that has not been used affectively and furthermore, even when used drastic change has not occurred. Oddly enough when affirmative action is used it usually benefits white women, so it is a huge misconception that it is solely based on race….

2. Are you FOR or AGAINST affirmative action in regards to the role it plays in the college admissions process?

I am for Affirmative Action in regards to the role it plays in the college admission process. I believe that it opens doors, opportunities and avenues that were  not originally afforded to people who are at a loss, financially as well as racially.

3. Do you think affirmative action is still necessary?

Necessary is an understatement, it should be mandatory. The reason why I say this is because if it is used on a national scale then it will make a huge change. Also, I would say that it would force old ways out the door and accept new  ones.

Vhonda M. McElroy, ASWSU Chief Justice, WSU Undergraduate, Political Science/Sociology

 

Civil Rights Initiative

With elections just around the corner, an issue that may sway voters one way or another is a new initiative to ban affirmative action. Ward Connerly, head of the American Civil Rights Coalition, works to stop preferential treatment based on race and gender. He claims that affirmative action causes dissent and that it is unfair to think that a, “Caucasian student might be denied a college slot in favor of a black student with a lower grade-point average.” Connerly is of African-American and American-Indian heritage. This ballot initiative, called the Civil Rights Initiative, has already been employed in California, Michigan, and Washington and it is currently being proposed in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Connerly believes that integration should not be forced because it will take place on its own, naturally.

 

This article is a good example of how many people seem to believe that the need for affirmative action is no longer needed in our society. When affirmative action was first created, it was meant to be temporary. The issues of reverse-discrimination, awarding people based on merit, and causing resentment between races help feed this new movement against affirmative action. These issues pose the idea of whether we still need affirmative action in our society and if the presence of it causes even more tension between races.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/07/affirmative.action/index.html#cnnSTCText

Initiative-200 and the “real” impact it had on minority admissions in Washington State

The article, “The End of Affirmative Action in Washington State and Its Impact on the Transition from High School to College,” offers some fascinating insights to the actual impact that affirmative action has had on colleges throughout Washington State. It discusses observations made mainly about Washington State University and University of Washington (UW), the state’s main research universities. Initiative-200 was implemented in Washington State in 1998, banning affirmative action in the admissions process to college. After this ban, statistics were retrieved to monitor the impact it had on minority admissions rates for 1999 and the following years. A table of data from the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, Washington State, and UW admissions and records database shows patterns and the rates of applications, admissions, and actual enrollment into the University of Washington. According to this table, minority admissions rates showed a slight decrease in the year after the installation of I-200. Some can argue that this decline in minority admissions rates is due to the absence of affirmative action, supporting the claim that affirmative action is needed in our system to prevent discrimination. On the contrary, there is also strong evidence to show that this drop is directly related to the decrease in minorities who actually applied. According to the table, it is suggested that I-200 did not have a significant impact on minority admissions to UW because in the following years after 1999, admissions rates seem to realign with the admissions rates before I-200 was employed. In looking at admissions rates for minorities in the following years after 1999 and taking into account the decline in the number of minorities that applied, this counters the previous argument and supports that affirmative action is unnecessary in our admissions process in Washington State.

“The End of Affirmative Action in Washington State and Its Impact on the Transition from High School to College” By Susan K Brown & Charles Hirschman. Sociology of Education. Albany: Apr 2006. Vol.79, Iss.2; pg.106, 25 pgs

A socialist perspective

Joseph Kay and Patrick Martin bring up an interesting argument in their article, “Affirmative action and the right to education: a socialist response.”  They offer a few statistics on the increasing costs of tuition for public universities around the country.  Combined with the slowly decreasing number of grants given to low income familites for education, this creates a system in which upper class families have better opportunities to eduction, assuming that there is a large percentage of minorities in the lower class.  Kay and Martin argue that the increasing cost to universities allows the wealthy majority access to higher education, leaving the poor minorities out.  This argument made by Kay and Martin influences us to realize the continuing need for affirmative action.  If the system in which we live insists on building more barriers for minorities’ access to higher education, then this shows the importance of affirmative action in the admissions process in order to compensate for the set backs faced by minorities.

However, Kay and Martin also go on to state their opposing opinion to affirmative action.  As socialists, they wish to eliminate the ruling class and argue that affirmative action just contributes to the polarization of the classes.  They claim, “Affirmative action not only fails to overcome the problem of racism, its discriminatory character inevitably exacerbates racial divisions and pits white and minority workers and youth against each other in the struggle for a completely inadequate number of jobs or educational opportunities.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/aa1-m03.shtml

The concept of affirmative action

You can hear many students complain about the unfair treatment brought about by affirmative action. Some say that it gives minorities an unfair advantage and that many of them are not qualified for university standards. In the article written by Danielle Holley for The Yale Herald called, “Let facts, not feelings, guide affirmative action debate,” she argues that many students debate about this issue and do not even understand the background and facts. Affirmative action encourages diversity, in which race and gender are considered in the admissions process. However, Holley argues that these two factors only act as a “plus” to a potential student’s application. This same concept can be seen in the admissions processes involving athletes and legacies, in which having outstanding athletic ability or having a parent previously attend the same school can act as “pluses” in the admissions process. Whether its diversity, athletic skill, or donations from alumni, the bottom line is that it all depends on what a student can give back to the university.

The “important” components of a college application

Affirmative action deals with the world of employment and the world of education. When applying for jobs, one can argue that employment requirements are fairly straight forward and clear. A person is either qualified or not qualified. On the other hand, when dealing with admissions requirements into public universities, the line of qualifications becomes hazy. Universities consider a number of factors that contribute to a student’s acceptance. The question is: what parts of a college application are more important to universities?

In analyzing this issue in their article, “Affirmative Action and the College Admissions Process,” The Princeton Review suggests that admissions officers focus on what qualities a student has to contribute to the university. Some schools may value GPA over involvement, while others may desire volunteer hours rather than SAT scores. The valuable components of a college application vary from school to school. The role of affirmative action is considered when schools value diversity.

http://www.princetonreview.com/college/apply/articles/process/8stepsAA.asp

Affirmative action at WSU!

This blog is about affirmative action at Washington State University regarding acceptance into the university. This blog will discuss the admissions process at WSU and how the race of a potential student can impact their application. This issue is something that not only affects potential and current Washington State University students, but it also affects all college students at public institutions in the United States. Why should a person’s race matter when our country prides ourselves on rewarding individuals based on merit? If race plays a greater role than our own achievements, then what’s the point in working so hard? Why are minority groups offered more helpful resources on campus? As part of an ethnic minority group, why would I want the extra help when I know can achieve my goals on the same playing field as everyone else? Does this make my hard work worth less?  How important is it to encourage diversity in public schools?