Diverse Issues in Higher Education
by Robin Chen Delos
Nov 3, 2008, 06:55
Voters will not only choose the next president on Tuesday, but in many states they will also cast ballots affecting higher colleges and universities across the country.
The two measures getting the most attention are proposed affirmative action bans in Nebraska and Colorado. If passed, they would prohibit public colleges and universities from offering scholarships and programs to minorities and women.
Both bans come from California businessman Ward Connerly, whose organization successfully passed affirmative action bans in California in 1996, Washington in 1998 and Michigan in 2006.
Connerly, who is Black, says he thinks affirmative action is an outdated system that reinforces the perception minorities are second-class citizens who need help to succeed. His fight against affirmative action started when he became convinced schools were admitting less qualified minority applicants over more qualified Whites.
Affirmative action is an antiquated system that, rather than helping minorities, reinforces the perception they are second-class citizens who need help to succeed, Connerly told The Associated Press last month.
Opponents of the measures argue the bans would eliminate programs essential to giving equal opportunity to historically disadvantaged groups like women and minorities. If passed, it would become illegal for Nebraska and Colorado state universities and colleges to continue recruitment and awarding scholarships based on gender, ethnicity and race. [Full story: http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_11921.shtml]
1 comment:
White and Non-whites, Don't Fear. God has Americans in place to deal with the transformational change which includes healing Americans of ancient phobias that stand in the way of whites and non-white Americans from processing the necessary change America needs to move positively and progressively ahead. Some of the necessary changes must be immediate. But, Americans are over comers. Americans are intelligent human beings. America has love for its people. And Americans love each others.
What is sad, yet forgiving,
McCain/Palin, their intent supporter and other ignorant advocates are engaged in spending millions of dollars:
Calling Barack Obama, the only African American USA Presidential Candidate 2008, a "socialist," is the old trick card traditional oppressors in America have played to instill harsh phobias upon the minds and humanity of American voters, and McCain/Palin have tried to connect Obama with lies and deceit making Obama's former pastor. White Americans used these same tactics and more for many many years. Over 50 years: fact.
Remember Paul Roberson? W. E. B. Dubois? Look it up on the Internet, you will find other facts around the words "Black" "Negro" and "socialist". Old fear tactics used by the traditional oppressors in America to keep good, thinking, sensitive Americans to not see person(s) of color, intelligent human beings in America.
A national and international prominent Research and Study organization, stationed in America, since 1952, found "A person of color in the U. S. A. culture is continually abused by the attitudes of the white Americans around him/her. People of color continually feel this pressure regardless of how much they are used to it or toughened against it. They are continually abused by the unaware white racism around them. That racism could be in a vicious form. Or it could be simply, the white Americans unawareness. It could be that the white American is afraid of the unknown attribute of the person of color. Any distress(anger, hate, emotion, etc) a white American has about a person of color, whether he/she is terrified of the unknown or embarrassed because the white American don't know what to do, or limited negative thinking, is racism.
Any distress at all the white American has about a non-white person in America, any distress that is called up by the fact that the American is non-white, is racist. It operates as racism, it makes the white American life difficult. The American person of color should not have to put up with his/her being character assassinated or defamed."
The term defamation of character is often used to describe accusations of slander, libel or both. Slander involves verbal derogatory statements, while libel involves written ones. In a court of law, the plaintiff pursuing the lawsuit would charge defamation of character to cover any form of false or damaging allegations," according to wisegeek research online.
The white Americans tolerance of racism, the white American failure to change the racist attitude is completely and effectively, is racism in its purest form. Racism is spoiling the lives of white and non-white Americans, young and old, as well as the not yet born American every second. Racism is spoiling lives indirectly as well as directly within the same environment as the racist. Just incidentally, it's also an unjust burden on the non-white person, as well as undue hardship to people of color, nationally and internationally.
What is Racism. Racism is a chronic pattern, not the person. Human beings are born intelligent. Yet, the same person, white or non-white acquires patterns, latent and chronic, during their childhood development stages. Many of those acquired hurts, pain, other distresses are often not rightfully, sufficiently, nor completely discharged, while in the child's development stages. So those pains, hurts, and other patterns are stored and many times mis-stored in a certain part of the brain. As we grow, so does the patterns depending on how the child lives and what environment the person, non-white/white, spends most of their life.
So, what does the white American do to overcome/eliminate Racism? And, what does a non-white do to overcome/eliminate internalized racism? (chronic patterns). The pattern (racism) is our enemy. White or non-white American.
1) The person can begin the healing process by contradicting the patterns. Don't go along with the patterns. Don't give in to this pattern, though you may have acted out this pattern for many years of your life. As long as you accept the fact: Racism is a Pattern. In life, city, county, state, or wherever you choose to be, a white suburb away from persons of color , there are persons of color within reasonable distance. It would be wise that the white American actively practice tolerance. White Americans are expected to have some association, involvement, or pass by a non-white American. The white American may travel the world over and over again, but many won't avoid running into non-white Americans or international persons of color. No matter how few opportunities you have because, "there aren't any non-whites living in your neighborhood". (This is denial spirit).
America will overcome/eliminate Racism, one way or another. Wouldn't you like to be one of the first to learn how to "Overcome/Eliminate Racism" from your life and the lives of your children and family?
I have a proposal for you. I propose that white Americans actively contradict this chronic racism. I propose that wherever there is a person of color, America actively go to make contact with them. And, as far the African American Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama, others like him, persons of color, go to him, apologize and begin this day of election history, work on establishing a relationship, friendship, acquaintance with them.
Don't expect this approach to the person of color be accepted, initially. But, you've got to start somewhere. This is indeed the right time to make real change happen in America--Healing is begun November 2008.
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