Poverty And Diversity At Harvard
An article in the Education section of today’s New York Times describes a new Harvard policy relieving poor parents of the obligation to contribute anything to their children’s tuition. Aiming to get more low-income students to enroll, Harvard will stop asking parents who earn less than $40,000 to make any contribution toward the cost of […]
The Legacies Of Confusion
James Traub, a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine, contributes another dose of confusion today to the ongoing discussion of the relationship of preferences based on race and preferences based on legacy status. Traub begins his column with the unfortunate conceit that the history of his feelings on the issue (as opposed to […]
Praising Brown, Or Burying It?
Colbert King is the Deputy Editor of the Washington Post editorial page, on which his column on D.C. affairs (or usually on D.C. affairs) appears, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2003 “for his against-the-grain columns that speak to people in power with ferocity and wisdom.” I suppose that depends on what […]
Are You Biased?
This site has tests you can take to determine whether you are biased a baker’s dozen different ways. Go try some. All I have to do is look at the page to discover that I have an embarrassing bias … against tests like these.
MSU Editors To Voters: This Is Too Complicated For You
The editors of the Michigan State University State News commendably chastise pro-affirmative action protesters for disrupting a recent speech on campus by Barbara Grutter supporting the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. But in its own way their own editorial is equally disrespectful to the citizens of Michigan. The State News has made clear its position on […]
Berkeley Scofflaws Still Scoffing
In Berkeley Scofflaws I discussed the Pacific Legal Foundation’s suit against the Berkeley Unified School District for continuing to assign students to schools on the basis of race, despite the prohibitions Propostion 209 had written into law. The School Board is still scoffing, and the judge hearing the case is considering whether to grant its […]
Court Rules Virginia Colleges May Deny Admission To Illegals
The U.S. District Court in Alexandria has held that Virginia colleges may deny admission to applicants who are living in the U.S. illegally, although the denials could still be ruled unconstitutional if the colleges fail to use federal standards to determine the applicants’ immigration status. Immigrant rights group had brought the lawsuit in response to […]
Was It Affirmative Action?
Framingham, Mass., just appointed Deputy Fire Chief Ollie Gadson to be the new fire chief. The town leaders and Chief Gadson say this appointment was based on merit alone, as do others quoted in the article. Selectman Esther Hopkins, who is also black, said Gadson’s promotion was well deserved. “I’m especially pleased this is not […]
Who’s Confused?
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative would amend the state constitution by commanding that state agencies “shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” Some people find this “confusing.” […]
Shooting Yourself In the Foot Mouth
The Rocky Mountain News reports today that a �Student Bill of Rights� was reported out of committee on a 6�5 party line vote, speeded on its way by a �verbal sparring match between a professor and a student near the end of a long legislative session that quickly became Exhibit A for supporters� of the […]
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