Spring Break
Affirmative action talk grows heated
Joshua Seiden
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: News
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"Without question, racial discrimination and slavery and Jim Crow were wrong, but you can't unring the bell," he told the University News during a recent visit to UMKC. "You can't go back and say that 'for what was done to my great, great grandfather, I should get preferential treatment over some Asian person or white or whatever.'"
Connerly, who is black, is a long-time opponent of race- and gender-based preferences in education and employment, spoke in Royall Hall Oct. 18. Connerly founded the American Civil Rights Institute, whose motto is "Race has no place in American life or law."
In keeping with his organization's credo, Connerly is visiting various states to campaign for legislation that would eliminate any sort of racial, ethnic and gender related preferences in both schools and work places. The issue could reach Missouri ballots in November 2008.
Before addressing the audience, Connerly spoke to the U-News. He aimed to clarify his views on affirmative action, embracing some aspects while opposing others.
"Affirmative action is not a term of art. It comes in many forms," Connerly said. "There are affirmative action programs that simply guarantee that no one will be discriminated against. In that one, I think everybody wins."
He also praised efforts to enhance community involvement.
"There are affirmative action programs that simply provide outreach," he said. "Nobody loses from that, and those that are targeted benefit from it. Society also benefits from that."
Connerly asserted his stance on programs based on preferences.
"The kind of affirmative action programs to which I object and at which our initiative is directed are those programs that involve contracts that are set aside and minority preference points in the bidding of contracts," he said. "Different standards for college admissions; different standards for employment. Those are the kind of programs that involve, quote, preferential treatment and are the ones that are targeted for elimination. In that instance, I think that it is very difficult to say who benefits and who loses."
Affirmative action can even harm those it aims to help, according to Connerly.
"Justice [Clarence] Thomas, for example, says that even when he was targeted as a beneficiary he was stigmatized by this," he said. "I understand that and have seen it myself."
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