The phrase "affirmative action" always causes an immediate response when mentioned on this campus and almost anywhere in the United States. It is one of the few topics on which we all have an opinion. Unfortunately, it is also a subject on which people form their opinions largely based on emotion and political rhetoric, with very little concrete information. This is a critical time in the debate over affirmative action, and students need to begin having a meaningful dialogue on this subject. That means a dialogue rooted in knowledge, not stereotypes and assumptions.
If you ask people around this campus what affirmative action actually is, the most likely answers you will hear are "quotas" or "unfair advantages" for minorities and women to get employment and admissions into universities. Underlying these answers is a basic misunderstanding of what affirmative action does and how it affects those who are not directly benefiting from the program.
The first misunderstanding is that affirmative action is a system of quotas. Affirmative action was developed to encourage companies and businesses not only to cease discrimination but also to implement efforts that would undo past discrimination. That means that affirmative action is indeed not color- or gender-blind. Instead, it recognizes these as distinctions that exist in our society, and attempts to establish equality by giving those who have been intentionally held back the opportunity to catch up to others who have had a head start. Quotas have been used by some institutions as a way of implementing affirmative action, however; quotas are not in any way an integral part of the spirit or goals of affirmative action.
Affirmative action, as implemented in academic institutions, is mostly a plus system. Race and gender are just two of many characteristics that are considered in deciding admissions. This type of preference is also given to legacies, athletes, and others. The idea that university admissions or hiring practices have been traditionally based solely on merit is a myth. The idea that SAT scores and GPAs should be the only factors in admission is antithetical to the concept of a liberal education. We are supposed to both learn how to be leaders and to develop our views in a challenging, diverse atmosphere. Affirmative action helps all students by creating this type of atmosphere. It is time for us to begin to reflect on the benefits and improvements that occur in our classrooms and social lives when there is a diverse group of people.
Perhaps the most destructive misunderstanding in the debate over affirmative action is the discussion of the "unqualified minority or woman." This is the myth that minorities admitted on affirmative action are not qualified. While race or gender may have been a factor in their admission, this does not automatically erase the intellectual achievements of these people. I have rarely heard someone in a debate on affirmative action present a hypothetical situation in which the minority or woman is as qualified, or more qualified, than the other applicants. This demonstrates a subconscious bias that almost all of us project upon these groups. Sadly, these historically disadvantaged groups themselves often internalize the ridiculous notion that they are somehow unqualified just because there is a program in place to insure that they will no longer be discriminated against.
Rarely do people talk about the overqualified women and minorities who just 25 years ago could not imagine being given an opportunity to attend the best universities or to have prestigious jobs. Whether the current population of minorities and women is middle class or not, affirmative action has made us the first generation of our people who have been granted the rights that all human beings deserve.
Even after we break down these basic myths about affirmative action, there are many debates to be waged. We should conduct these discussions not under a cloud of emotion, but instead armed with objective facts. We cannot pretend that we have achieved a gender- and color-blind society and begin to dismantle the programs that try to eliminate our country's recent history of discrimination.
Danielle Holley, co-chair of the Yale Black Political Forum, is a junior in Saybrook College.
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