Catching them in the act

townhall.com ^ | 11/19/03 | Linda Chavez

[kattracks]

Proponents of affirmative action were quick to claim victory last summer when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that colleges could continue to consider race in their admissions policy in order to promote "diversity," but they may soon be singing a different tune. A number of schools have already abandoned some race-based programs, and others may be about to follow suit. Why the sudden about-face? Because many of these programs are blatantly illegal -- permitting students from only certain racial groups to participate, while keeping out everyone else. The schools have been getting away with these practices for years, but that's about to change.

The Center for Equal Opportunity, which I head, has begun challenging racially exclusive programs at dozens of colleges and universities. By the end of this year, we will have notified 100 colleges -- some of the most prestigious in the nation, including Princeton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Virginia -- that they may be operating programs that run afoul of the Supreme Court's ruling.

Some schools have racially exclusive scholarship programs. Others have established outreach programs or special summer sessions open only to members of specified racial or ethnic groups. But in every case, these schools have been running programs in which some students need not apply simply because of the color of their skin.

As a result of the Center's challenges, most of the institutions have decided that they should open up these programs to students of all races. But some schools dug in their heels, so we filed formal complaints with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which investigates allegations of racial discrimination.

MIT, for example, has run a racially exclusive summer program for high school students that excludes whites and Asians -- indeed anyone who is not African American, Hispanic or Native American. The purpose of the program is to encourage students who might not otherwise do so to pursue a science education. The child of an unemployed, white factory worker could not get into the program, however. Nor could any Asian students, no matter how much personal adversity they might have to overcome in order to gain admittance to MIT.

When we brought these obvious flaws to MIT's attention, the university initially ignored our warnings. But after OCR began reviewing our formal complaint against the MIT program, the university suddenly announced it would admit whites and Asians. Since the investigation is ongoing, information on exactly what changes will be made remain sketchy. But we're confident the school will not go back to its crude, racially exclusive program.

It is too bad it has taken threats of legal action to get colleges and universities to stop segregating students by race under the guise of promoting diversity. Many schools have been hiding discriminatory programs behind the façade of equal access for years -- until someone was willing to shine the light on what they were doing and demand that they stop.

The schools' traditional argument has been that racially exclusive programs are necessary to ensure sufficient numbers of black and Hispanic students. But the reality is that the most elite schools often engage in cutthroat bidding wars to recruit from among the same pool of high-performing minority students.

Only about 1,900 black students in the entire United States scored 1300 or higher on the SATs last year, compared with more than 148,000 students from other racial groups. Schools like MIT, Princeton, Amherst and others are willing to spend huge amounts of money and resources to attract these students.

The Supreme Court's decisions in the two University of Michigan cases this summer should help eliminate the most egregious race-based programs. But until the court rejects race, once and for all, as a legitimate factor in making admissions decisions, colleges will continue to come up with creative ways to discriminate against some students while favoring others simply because they happen to be the "wrong" race or ethnicity.

As long as colleges pursue this course, however, we'll be there to catch them in the act.

Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a Townhall.com member organization.

©2003 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

Contact Linda Chavez | Read Chavez's biography

[dagnabbit]

Only about 1,900 black students in the entire United States scored 1300 or higher on the SATs last year, compared with more than 148,000 students from other racial groups.

Silk purse meet Sow's Ear. Sow's Ear, this is Silk purse.

Of course those 148,000 students are more foolish than their scores suggest, if they actually mark "White" or "Asian" on any form, ever.

[whereasandsoforth]

"Only about 1,900 black students in the entire United States scored 1300 or higher on the SATs last year, compared with more than 148,000 students from other racial groups. Schools like MIT, Princeton, Amherst and others are willing to spend huge amounts of money and resources to attract these students."

Wow! That's a very powerful and telling paragraph. Something is terribly wrong if this is indeed the SAT results. Maybe it's time a few undeniable truths are confronted. It's very obvious that the black students are not being served in the current educational or societal systems. I don't care who's feeling might get hurt. These numbers are appalling and totally unacceptable.

[cyborg]

Both numbers are awful... why only 148,000??? I think the SAT is worthless anyway. If anything the ACT is better. I got a 990 on my SAT but was in the top 10% for the ACT. I'd like to see a breakdown of public school, private school and homeschooled for everyone since all the black kids I know being homeschooled have scored ABOVE 1400 on their SATs.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

[Dan Evans]

Of course those 148,000 students are more foolish than their scores suggest, if they actually mark "White" or "Asian" on any form, ever.

I doubt if anyone is going to be fooled by a white guy marking "African American" on an admission form. Don't you include a photo with your application? They will just correct the form -- what are you going to do, sue them?

[Pedantic_Lady]

I doubt if anyone is going to be fooled by a white guy marking "African American" on an admission form. Don't you include a photo with your application? They will just correct the form -- what are you going to do, sue them?

I didn't have to include a photo with my college applications!

[Pedantic_Lady]

Wow! That's a very powerful and telling paragraph. Something is terribly wrong if this is indeed the SAT results. Maybe it's time a few undeniable truths are confronted. It's very obvious that the black students are not being served in the current educational or societal systems. I don't care who's feeling might get hurt. These numbers are appalling and totally unacceptable.

Absolutely. The answer is not to impose racial quotas at the university level and punish white and asian students who have worked hard; the answer is to fix our primary and secondary systems, which often do not serve the needs of Hispanics or African Americans as well as they serve the needs of whites. Perhaps SAT preparation courses should be offered by the districts...free...at all high schools so students from disadvantaged backgrounds can have the same access to test preparation that more privileged students have.

I'm of the opinion that almost NONE of America's high school students are pushed hard enough. I went to a really good high school, yet the valedictorian and salutatorian in my class both had averages of 100. Not 98.9, not 99.5....100.00. They both got straight 100s in every class for four straight years. That indicates to me that the curriculum is not anywhere near difficult enough, at least for them. I made straight As in high school without even trying. I rarely studied...and paid the price in college. I had NO study skills because high school was such a breeze.

[Fledermaus]

The only photos I had produce with my college application was the ones with Andrew Jackson, Ben Franklin and others on them.

[Pedantic_Lady]

The only photos I had produce with my college application was the ones with Andrew Jackson, Ben Franklin and others on them.

ROFLMAO! Good one!

[dagnabbit]

I doubt if anyone is going to be fooled by a white guy marking "African American" on an admission form. Don't you include a photo with your application? They will just correct the form -- what are you going to do, sue them?

Define "White". Define "African American".

Don’t worry if you can't. The schools can't either. They rely solely on "self identification" to run their racial spoils schemes.

And yes - they should be sued if they ever try to impose some sort of racial assignment of their own on someone. Sue them for not having written guidelines as to who belongs in which one of their little racial groupings. What are they going to do - try to go into the racial-assignments business a la 40s Germany or 80s South Africa? That's a huge can of litigation they could never open.

If everyone claims these illegitimate preferences, they will go away. This is their Achilles heel, and the route to finally killing off this societal poison.

[Dan Evans]

If everyone claims these illegitimate preferences, they will go away. This is their Achilles heel, and the route to finally killing off this societal poison.

This isn't the first time it's been suggested but affirmative action has been around for thirty years and I have yet to hear of a case like this coming before a court. Can you cite one case where a blue-eyed blonde-haired plaintiff has declared himself to be a black man in court?

It has never happened and I doubt if it ever will happen because decent people don't try to game the system. On the other hand, race warlords won't play fair, they aren't going to play by the rules. I'd love to be wrong but I doubt if I am.

The only way to fight it is to litigate it head-on like Linda Chavez has been doing.

[doug from upland]

This woman is articulate and wonderful. Let's get 60 GOP senators in 2004 so she can be approved for a high level Bush Admin post.

[Rummyfan]

I tell my kids to always leave the Race field blank. To hell with it!

[Rummyfan]

Of course they are Native Americans too - born and raised in California!