Dr. Jones
English 1201-ZQ
16 February 2000

            After a federal court banned race-sensitive college admission processes throughout the state of Texas, in 1996, the number of African American students enrolled in Texas University has declined by 23%, Latin American enrollment by 19%, and Native American enrollment by 53% (Oregon Live).  There were similar effects in California after the ratification of proposition 209 in 1995, which also banned affirmative action policies throughout the state.  The drops in enrollment are due to the waning numbers of minorities being accepted by these institutions and the failure of those accepted to enroll in class.  Many minorities are now viewing the higher education system with aversion and, in some cases, do not even bother to apply for admission (Fairtest Examiner). 

            As Mamphela Ramphele, vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town in South Africa stated, “Everyone deserves opportunity; no one deserves success” (Review).  Affirmative action provides minorities with that opportunity.  It does not provide them with a free ride; it gives them a chance, a chance that would not otherwise be considered.  It helps minorities prove themselves, both academically and socially.  The majority of minorities live in urban towns.  They attend run down crowded public schools that atrociously prepare them for standardized tests (DLC PPI).  A study conducted in 1989, demonstrated that African American students score 186 points lower than whites on the combined SAT’s.  As a result, their chances of being admitted to good quality institutions is hindered because standardized testing is the deciding element on whether or not a student is admitted (Review). 

            William Bowen and Derek Bok, former presidents of Princeton and Harvard, conducted a survey of 30,000 students of all races who enrolled in one of 28 selective schools in 1951, 1976, or 1989.  It showed that the average graduation rate of African American students among the 28 colleges was 75%, which is higher than the 59% graduation rate of Caucasian students nationwide.  40% of the African Americans whom graduated in 1976 continued to earn advances degrees.  A large amount of these men and women also gave back to their communities by leading youth or taking part in educational organizations (Review).  This demonstrates students admitted under affirmative action conditions are capable of excelling academically under the equal circumstances.  After these students were allowed to get their foot in the door, they were determined to prove their capabilities.  They also found that out of all the African American students involved in the survey, almost 90% of them admitted to having known two or more Caucasian students well.  56% of the Caucasian students admitted knowing tow or more African American students well.  This demonstrates how affirmative action promotes diversity between the students of an institution.  Without it, chances are many black students would have been secluded from the white students.  It is important to have diversity among the student body of schools because it helps the students realize there is more than one perspective on any given subject.  This helps students to have an open mind and be more reasonable towards opinions that do not agree with their own. 

            People need not worry about the numbers of Caucasian students being rejected from institutions in order to admit minority students with weaker scholastic records.  The survey conducted by Bowen and Bok explains if affirmative action had not been used at the institutions in 1989, the enrollment of African American students would have dropped from 7.8 %to 2.1%.  The overall probability of white student admission would have risen by only 1.5 percentage points if all the slots taken by affirmative action beneficiaries had been filled by whites denied admission despite higher test scores.  “Nearly as many white applicants, including an appreciable number of valedictorians and other highly talented people, would still have been disappointed by being rejected at these institutions” (Review).   

            Linus Graglia, a law professor at Texas University thinks “there is nothing inherently wrong with low numbers of minority students in top schools, just as there is no problem in having many Jews as college professors, Asian Americans as engineering students or blacks as baseball players” (Oregon Live).  It is disturbing to know that those in favor of banning affirmative action have opinions such as these.  I am scared to imagine how this nation would regress with the banning of affirmative action.  It would become a society in which minorities would hold jobs mostly as laborers.  A nation in which the minorities would continue to attend lousy schools and constantly be told they are not as intelligent as their white counterparts.  A nation in which the rich would get richer and the poor would get poorer.  A separate and unequal nation.

Works Cited

 DLC PPI.  “PPI Unveils New Democrat Plan to ‘Mend’ Affirmative Action.”  3 Aug. 1995
        http://www.dlcppi.org/tests/SOCIAL/AARLS.htm

FairTest Examiner.  “Texas Bumps Hopwood.”  FairTest Examiner
        http://fairtest.org/examarts/summer97/texhop.htm

 “Oregon Live.”  The Oregonian.  10 Oct. 1998.  Oregon Live.
         http://oregonlive.com/todaysnews/9810/st101711.html

 Review.  “Affirmative Deception.”  http://melcom.com/liberty/liberty/reviews/71arkes.html

Metatext

I added a little more information about affirmative action leading to diversity between students in universities.  I did not find enough information on reverse discrimination in order to fit more information about it in my essay.  I was not sure how to present the information since my feelings about the issue are mixed.  I think the changes made to the essay have contributed to it being stronger.