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Sharoyal Brown Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 October 21, 201 Discrimination Has Not Ended: College Admissions and Affirmative Action !a"e you e"er won#ere# why you were a#mitte# into the uni"ersity you atten#$ %hen we thin& about what goes into the college a#missions process we thin& about our gra#e point a"erages, our S'( scores, what organi)ations we were in"ol"e# in, an# lea#ership positions we*"e hel#+ !owe"er, accor#ing to %illiam ,+ Bowen an# -ere& Bo&, authors o. The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, '..irmati"e 'ction also plays a role in college a#missions+ Merriam/%ebster, one o. the most popular online #ictionaries, #e.ines '..irmati"e 'ction as 0the practice o. impro"ing the e#ucational an# 1ob opportunities o. members o. groups that ha"e not been treate# .airly in the past because o. their race, se2, etc+3 It is o.ten consi#ere# 0a means o. countering historical #iscrimination against a particular group+3 (his plan was enacte# in the late 1450s to protect citi)ens .rom being #iscriminate# against an# thus .ollows the 16th amen#ment, which promises e7ual protection un#er the constitution+ O"er the years, this policy has cause# contro"ersy .rom people who belie"e this count as #iscrimination+ !owe"er, the opposing si#e belie"es that this policy is rele"ant an# necessary #espite the social progress that 'merica has ma#e+ 89g+ 22iii: 'lthough '..irmati"e 'ction aims to ma&e e"eryone e7ual un#er the Constitution, some woul# argue that it gi"es minorities an a#"antage o"er the ma1ority in most cases inclu#ing college a#missions+ '..irmati"e 'ction is causing such contro"ersy because '.rican 'mericans an# other minority groups are being a#mitte# into institutions where some %hites are #enie#

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because o. the institutions goals to increase #i"ersity+ !owe"er, it*s important to consi#er the minorities who are aca#emically a"erage stu#ents an# what this says about their chances o. getting into college+ -o they not #eser"e the same e#ucation as the ma1ority 1ust because they score# lower on their S'( scores$ ;esearch shows that %hites are scoring higher than '.rican 'mericans an# other minorities on S'(s an# other stan#ar#i)e# testing< there.ore, i. '..irmati"e 'ction were to be ta&en out o. the a#missions process, %hites woul# #ominate institutions+ Others woul# argue that without '..irmati"e 'ction, minorities woul# still be treate# un.airly< there.ore, it is se"erely nee#e#+ !owe"er, a.ter centuries o. blatant racism, #iscrimination cannot be erase# by a simple policy in the Constitution+ 's =yn#on >ohnson, the 5th 9resi#ent o. the ?nite# States, state# in his speech at !owar# ?ni"ersity in 145@, 0Aou #o not ta&e a person who .or years has been hobble# by chains an# liberate him, bring him to the starting line o. a race an# say, Byou are .ree to compete with all the others,* an# still 1ustly belie"e you ha"e been completely .air+3 89g+ 2 : In other wor#s, the result o. this policy only changes the 7uota or statistics+ It cannot change the outloo& on '.rican 'mericans nor the stereotypes an# 1u#gments that heCshe must en#ure in a##ition to the .act that '.rican 'mericans are still un#errepresente# in se"eral career .iel#s+ 'lthough times ha"e change# since the 1450s, many '.rican 'mericans are not only at a social #isa#"antage in the 21st century, but also a socioeconomic #isa#"antage to whites+ (hese are .ew o. the "arious reasons '.rican 'mericans are un#errepresente# in college institutions< there.ore, '..irmati"e 'ction is nee#e# to change this+ 'lthough minorities shoul#n*t #epen# solely on '..irmati"e 'ction to get them in their #esire# Constitution, .actors they can*t control such as their socioeconomic status an# stereotypes shoul# not #eter them .rom being a#mitte# into college+

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(here must be a way to increase minority representation within speci.ic uni"ersities+ In this case< woul# '..irmati"e 'ction be #iscriminatory to the whites that #o not get a#mitte# into these uni"ersities because o. its aims to increase minority representation$ Disher "+ ?ni"ersity o. (e2as at 'ustin is a current case in which a girl was re1ecte# .rom the uni"ersity because o. her race an# their commitment to enroll more minority stu#ents+ She .elt as i. she was being #iscriminate# against because o. '..irmati"e 'ction+ Disher loo&s at '..irmati"e 'ction as a plan that gi"es minorities an a#"antage o"er others an# thus "iolates the 16th amen#ment, which grants e"eryone e7ual protection+ Some woul# say Disher has a "ali# point because although '..irmati"e 'ction is suppose# to gi"e people e7ual opportunity, it in .act gi"es minorities an a#"antage in this case because they are ta&ing the place o. white stu#ents who may ha"e earne# better gra#es than them+ But what about the tons o. minority stu#ents who #o not get a#mitte# because they are aca#emically a"erage stu#ents$ -o they not #eser"e the same e#ucation as abo"e a"erage stu#ents e"en though they*"e put in the same e..ort$ Some woul# say that '.rican 'mericans being accepte# into college on the basis o. their race or '..irmati"e 'ction are also #emonstrating #iscrimination+ (hus, an important 7uestion to e"aluate is whether or not positi"e #iscrimination e2ists+ -a"i# Simon o. ?ni"ersity o. Michigan #e.ines positi"e #iscrimination as 0#iscrimination that bene.its the actee3 in his article Discrimination and Affirmative Action+ (he '..irmati"e 'ction policy allows minorities to ha"e the upper han# o"er some o. the ma1ority in the college a#missions process+ By the #e.inition gi"en, this woul# be consi#ere# #iscrimination+ !owe"er, there isn*t another option when it comes to .airness+ %ith or without '..irmati"e 'ction there woul# be groups o. people #isa#"antage#+ '..irmati"e 'ction isn*t meant to gi"e minorities an a#"antage, it is meant to ma&e them e7ual+ 'lthough this means that minorities coul# ta&e the spots o. the ma1ority in

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college institutions, what woul# be the #i..erence i. it were someone o. the %hite race with a lower S'( score ta&ing the place o. another %hite stu#ent$ (hat coul# be consi#ere# #iscrimination on a basis other than race+ Eo one is guarantee# a#mission into an institution solely base# o.. o. his or her aca#emic per.ormance so why is '..irmati"e 'ction causing such uproar to#ay$ -i"ersity is "alue# on college campuses because o. the e2perience o. learning an# interacting with people o. #i..erent racial an# cultural bac&groun#s+ I. goo# gra#es meant an a#mission into college, ma1ority stu#ents woul# increasingly #ominate elite schools+ (his is e2actly what '..irmati"e 'ction plans to #eter+ 'ccor#ing to Balance#9olitics+org, an e#itorial use# to present logical an# balance# #iscussions on rele"ant societal issues, pointe# out important "iews in their e#itorial written by >oe Messerli title#: Should Affirmative Action olicies! "hich #ive referential Treatment $ased on %inority Status! $e &liminated' Elite schools nee# minority stu#ents to be enrolle# in their institution to enhance the learning e2perience o. themsel"es an# others+ 'lso, some minority stu#ents are alrea#y at a #isa#"antage base# on things they cannot control such as coming .rom a lower income .amily or #rug/in.este# en"ironment+ I. these stu#ents coming .rom these en"ironments are able to succee# in high school, they shoul# be grante# the e#ucation they #eser"e+ 's a minority, we are worrie# about being #iscriminate# against because o. the many stereotypes .acing us+ 9eople may assume that we are not able to succee# in a uni"ersity setting because we may be .irst generation college stu#ents+ 9eople may also assume that we aren*t able to succee# because we*re la)y an# not willing to put .orth the wor& li&e ma1ority stu#ents+ !owe"er, e"en though all o. those stereotypes are wrong, they #o not go away which is why '..irmati"e 'ction shoul#n*t either+

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Eo matter how much things change it seems that neither the ma1ority nor minority population will e"er agree an# .eel as i. they are treate# e7ual+ It*s important to consi#er that racism an# #iscrimination is still pre"alent although it*s no longer socially accepte# as the norm+ (here.ore, '..irmati"e 'ction is still nee#e# to ensure that e"eryone no matter what race, religion, se2, or origin is treate# e7ually Fnot gi"en an a#"antage+ Minorities shoul# howe"er not solely #epen# on '..irmati"e 'ction as a means o. getting into college institutions or businesses where they are un#errepresente#+ It*s up to minorities to #o their part as well an# still stri"e to per.orm well aca#emically no matter what policies are put in place+ 's .ar as %hites, they will ne"er 7uite un#erstan# how it .eels as a minority an# as a person who comes .rom a bac&groun# o. oppression an# #iscrimination< howe"er, they shoul#n*t be concerne# with '.rican 'mericans a#mission rates being increase# in prestigious institutions+ Instea#, why aren*t they worrie# about legacy applicants who also get an a#"antage o"er all the other applicants$ =egacy pre.erences are also a way o. #iscrimination< howe"er, many people only connect #iscrimination to race+ It seems that legacy applicants are better than minorities when it comes to who is being a#mitte# into colleges at the e2pense o. another %hite applicant+

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Bibliography Messerli, >oe+ G'..irmati"e 'ction 89ros H Cons, 'rguments Dor an# 'gainst, '#"antages H -isa#"antages:+G $alanced olitics(org+ %eb+ 21 Oct 201 +

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Caleb >osiah !ines Comments (his is a "ery well written an# comple2 paper+ I remember ha"ing a #ebate about this my 10th gra#e year in high school an# it intereste# me an# this paper #i# the same+ Aour .acts were intriguing an# you really &ept me wanting to rea# more+ 'll your sources are cite# correctly throughout the paper+ (here were har#ly any grammar errors< I .i2e# the ones that were there+ I hope you #i#n*t min#+ I really #i#n*t .in# too many problems wrong with your paper, e2cept the o"eruse o. the wor# howe"er+ Aou maybe can .in# other con1unctions that coul# replace it+ (he other is your wor& cite# page, which you*re alrea#y aware o.+ O"erall, this is great wor&+