It’s hard for me to give a personal perspective on affirmative action because let’s face it, it’s not obvious. Like some forms of racism, it’s not overt or in your face; it’s subtle and sometimes even undetectable.
So how do you gauge the success of a program that is meant to help so many? The role of affirmative action is not to make it harder for a certain group or to reverse discriminate, but to clear some of the obstacles that have made it difficult for people of color, women and others to reach the same level playing field.
What’s wrong with that?
I understand the argument of reverse discrimination, but is 25 years of affirmative action enough to make up for the hundreds of years of discrimination? Maybe I should not bring up the past, but the fact of the matter is that people of color and women were made to start much further away from the starting line.
While we play catch up, there is a place for affirmative action. I could go on and on about how it is meant to help, but that does not do enough to convince people. How do you make people care about a program that they feel doesn’t even apply to them? Even those who it is meant to help will never really know, because when you are hired or accepted, there is no way of knowing if it was because of affirmative action.
What I can attest to is diversity in the student body and workforce. I’ve been fortunate in my experience at MSU to learn what it means to be Latino, Black, White, Muslim, Asian, gay and a wealth of other identities. It’s the diversity of MSU that has made my experience memorable.
Why would we limit something so innovative and crucial? According to a Forbes Insight Study, workforce diversity aids in innovation, competitiveness and creativity.
In that respect, there should be a push to have a more diverse student body so that people are comfortable with a diverse workforce.
It’s hard to express the complexity of affirmative action, but I think if I had to express any idea at all it would be this: Affirmative action is not only a tool used to create a more diverse experience, but it provides people of color and women an opportunity to disprove stereotypes. It gives people an opportunity to show that they deserve a place at the table.
I don’t think Michigan has reached a point where it can ban affirmative action. There will be a time and place when affirmative action will no longer be needed, but that time is not today.
We are only starting to make advancements — it would be disheartening to see more roadblocks impede whatever progress we are making.
Luis Zarco is a communications senior. Reach him at zarcolui@msu.edu.
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