race blind

conservative and liberal activists have debated the essential merit of diverse, inclusive organizations. policy discussion has increasingly centered on public state universities, including systems in texas, california, and michigan. michigan advocates an explicit formula that considers student race and ethnicity for admission. in bakke v. university of michigan, um argued that diversity best prepares students for success because inclusive classrooms promote open, honest discussions that include diverse experience and perspectives. in contrast, texas and california abandoned affirmative action policies and instated race blind admissions policies. proponents of race blind admissions maintain that students should gain admission based solely on accomplishments, achievement, and merit.

however, recent statistics in texas and california betray conservative policies. there has been a dramatic decline in representation for black and latino students at public universities. timothy egan explains:

In California, the rise of the Asian campus, of the strict meritocracy, has come at the expense of historically underrepresented blacks and Hispanics. This year, in a class of 4,809, there are only 100 black freshmen at the University of California at Los Angeles — the lowest number in 33 years.

At Berkeley, 3.6 percent of freshmen are black, barely half the statewide proportion. (In 1997, just before the full force of Proposition 209 went into effect, the proportion of black freshmen matched the state population, 7 percent.) The percentage of Hispanic freshmen at Berkeley (11 percent) is not even a third of the state proportion (35 percent). White freshmen (29 percent) are also below the state average (44 percent).

the article highlights a central problem with traditional multiculturalism. while conventional diversity programs deride white male privilege, they often reproduce privileged status. black and latino students clearly deserve increased access and support. however, can we privilege only select ethnic and racial groups for support?

i believe the central challenge is class discrimination and class segregation. black and latino families disproportionately earn lower salary and receive less comprehensive education. when we address class, we inherently address injustice from racism. however, we also address every american who is dismissed, ignored, and excluded. that's race blind admissions.