In order to achieve ‘A More Perfect Union’ we must be willing to address some issues with honesty, integrity, empathy and knowledge. Of course one of the most divisive issues in this nation is race. How do we balance the need to address the real inequalities our legacy of chattel slavery, segregation, and social stigmatization have created while simultaneously aspiring to create a nation where no in discriminated against due to the color of their skin or held unduly accountable for the sins of their father?
For a while now, I’ve been an proponent of race-neutral affirmative action. Not only for high-minded reasons, but for practical ones as well. As an African-American, a quick look at the census bureau figures makes it clear that white resentment isn’t a good thing for me and as Obama pointed out in his speech, there are legitimate white resentments. For these reasons, I’ve been enamored with the idea of race-neutral affirmative action programs for a while now. I came across this article, that I’d like to share, because it does seem to indicate that they can work. And I wouldn’t mind if they got a higher priority in the national dialogue, as I believe certain forces are more able to hide the truth of gross inequality in our society if they’re allowed to get away with tarring anyone who’d like to address these inequalities as a ‘Guilty White’ or ‘Angry Black’. And one day I do hope we Democrats - and our more liberal ideas - will be able to pull more than 50% of the white vote again, without adopting policies and a mentality which would de-facto push minorities out of it.
Anyways, here's some snipits from the article:
Ten years ago, after a federal court blocked Texas colleges from considering race as a factor in admissions, the state, with George W. Bush as governor, came up with an innovative alternative. In an attempt to make affirmative action colorblind, the top 10% of graduates at each of the state's high schools was granted automatic admission to state universities.
Ten years later, we know a little more about the law: It works. Maybe even a little too well, given that the president of the University of Texas asked the Legislature last week to scale it back.
Examples of its success at the University of Texas at Austin include:
* Students admitted under the 10% rule get better grades than other students. Plus, they graduate at higher rates.
* Racial diversity at the Austin campus improved. The number of Hispanic students has risen by 29% and the African-American student population by 32%.
* Economic and geographic diversity improved as well. Before the law took effect, the Austin campus drew from 616 high schools. Now it draws from 853 schools.
Admittedly the system only works because of the fact that so many of America's neighborhoods are, for all practical purposes, segregated. Nevertheless...
http://news.yahoo.com/...