"We might first remember that affirmative action has never been very popular – mostly because it is profoundly misunderstood both in terms of its purpose (to address historically persistent racial inequality) and in terms of its impact. It aids the ascension of white women and the admission of a range of other under-represented minorities into universities and the workplace, but gaps in income, under-representation in institutional leadership positions, and over-representation in the criminal justice system continue to be a persistent factor of American life for African-Americans. . . .The effort to make our society equal; to petition the government and all of America’s institutions to reflect and represent the society in which we all live, has been a burden borne mostly by those demanding equality – not by those who have been granted the arbitrary privilege of full access.. . .Even if we set aside the well-documented ways in which standardized tests re-inscribe racial bias and generally tell us more about socio-economic status than actual ability, (this includes everything from the SAT to the LSAT to the Bar itself) the real mismatch in Affirmative Action efforts and results is the extent to which historically unequal institutions continue to be unwelcoming environments for black folk."
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:00:21 +0000
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