4 OPINION Friday, April 10, 1987 The Michigan Daily r b 41, dCiyxu 4ai1 SEedt antichigan Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan UCAR keeps up pressure Vol. XCVII, No. 131 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 I Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. Affirmative .action upheld. N MARCH 25, THE U.S. Supreme Court struck down a reverse discrimination challenge to an: affirmative action plan voluntarily adopted by a county transportation authority in Cali- fornia. This decision, which explicitly devoted itself only to sex discrimination, has substantial inplications for all kinds of voluntary affirmative action plans and marks a limited but important step forward toward true equality of opportunity for women and minorities in the job market. The ruling in Johnson v. Transportation Authority interprets Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allow 'a broad range of voluntary employer affirmative action. This interpretation contains three significant victories for pro- affirmative action forces. First, it extends to affirmative action plans for women the protection which previous rulings had given to racial affirmativeaction plans. Second, the court made clear that employers may implement volun- tary plans even though they have not themselves previously discrimi- nated as long as there is a "manifest imbalance" between the percentage of women and minorities on the job and the percentage in the general population who possess the relevant qualifications. Third, in a footnote, the court silenced assertions that the Four - teenth Amendment's Equal Protec - tion Clause prohibits public em - ployers from adopting voluntary plans. This decision is an, eminently reasonable interpretation of Title VII. Congress passed the landmark statute in 1964 to "break down old patterns of racial segregation and hierarchy" throughout society and, especially, in the work force. Several years later, it amended the law to ban sex discrimination as well. Congress certainly did not intend to fashion a weapon for white males to wield against af - firmative action employers. The decision recognizes the in - escapable reality that the law cannot became color blind or sex blind while women and minorities are hamstrung by past discrimination. Accordingly, Johnson allows em - ployers to consider as one factor the status of an applicant as a female or a minority in order to compensate for the effects of our society's long history of injustice. It is important to note, however, that the scope of affirmative action is still strictly limited. The Supreme Court stopped short of endorsing voluntarily adopted numerical hiring goals and, by citing its 1978 decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke , implicitly condemned their use. Furthermore, current, federal law requires affirmative action of only, the federal government, federal government contractors, and educational institutions which receive federal funds. In future rulings, the court should endorse reasonable numeri- cal goals. Moreover, Congress should require affirmative action hiring and promotion practices of all employers subject to Congress' power to do so. When someone has been the victim of discrimination in educa - tion, housing, and prior em - ployment, he or she is at such a disadvantage relative to other appli - cants that an absolutely non- discriminatory review of the job application merely perpetuates the effects of past injustice. A fair umpire isn't much good to a batter who already has two strikes against him. By Barbara Ransby This is the second of a two-part series. Demand 6: Orientation for Incoming Minority Students This orientation workshop would give Minority students a chance to meet already enrolled Minority sutdents and faculty and to help them feel less alienated and isolated during their first few weeks of college. Since most Minority students, especially Blacks students, come from high schools which have a significant if not predominate Minority student body, the transition to a school where the White/Black ration is 20 to 1 can be quite difficult. The workshop would welcome these students and give them a sense of what campus life will be like as a Minority student. Status: The University is considering this demand Demand 7: Tuition Waivers for Under-represented and Economically Disadvantaged Minority Students. Many poor Black, Chicano and Native American high school students do not even apply to the University because the high tuition cost is prohibitive, especially for out of state students. This is of course a difficulty for White students as well. However, considering that the average income for Black and Chicano families is significantly less than their White counter- parts and that the gap is widening, the high cost of tuition and inadequate financial aid are key factors in the exclusion of many Minority students from the University. Low-income students who do come to the University often have to work full time in order to survive which translates into academic pressure and many drop out. This waivers system for low-income Minorities would not only make the campus more diverse racially and culturally, but in terms of class as well. Status: The University has, thus far, rejected this demand. Demand 8: A Minority Lounge and Office in the Michigan Union. This facility would allow Minority students a comfortable and supportive place to meet and discuss common problems and concerns. A centrally located office of this sort is desperately needed. Students of color feel like a "minority" in absolutely every place on campus, the libraries, the MUG, the classroom, and the dorms. Even the Black sororities and fraternities do not have houses of their own. One room is Barbara Ransby is a leader of the United Coalition Against Racism (UCAR). really not very much to ask. Status: The University is considering this demand. Demand 9: A Required Course on Racism and Diversity for all University Students This University tells incoming students that in order to have a well rounded education they must take a certain number of science and humanities courses. We feel that students must also have an under- standing of the history and implications of racism in order to fully understand the complex and diverse society we live in. In fact, the three students who have admitted to and apologized for participating in racist incidents have all pleaded ignorance as the excuse for their actions. At a distinguished academic institution such as this there is really no excuse for such rampant ignorance. This course would not only educate students about racism but would combat some of the myths that fuel it. Status: The University has rejected this demand Demand 10: Full, public and immediate investigation of all reported incidents of racial harassment and a publicized mechanism for reporting such incidents Racist threats and assaults are crimes not only against the individual victims but against all of us who are concerned about having a safe and fair campus. We can only know the extent of this problem if it is carefully documented and monitored. However, if this documentation is secret we have no way of knowing if our anti- racist programs are effective or whether the situation is improving or worsening. Also, making investigations public will help to deter other would-be perpetrators, letting them know that there will be consequences for their actions. We all have a right to know exactly what racist incidents are taking place on campus, who is involved in them and what the administration is doing about it. Status: This demand has been partially, but inadequately met. The University says it is conducting investigations and phone numbers have been posted regarding where to report racist incidents. However, the University has refused to make the details of its completed investigations public, including the name of the person who circulated the KKK-type flier in Couzens Hall. Demand 11: Full Observance of the Martin Luther King Holiday including closing the University. Dr. King dedicated his life, not only to the rights of Black Americans, but to human rights throughout the world. His dream was for a just society for everyone. To honor his birthday, a legal national holiday, would help to remind us all of how far we have to go to realize Dr. King's dream and would represent a symbolic pledge by the University to make its contribution toward that goal. Unfortu- nately, racism, bigotry and intolerance are daily practices in our society. We could at least break with our routines one day out of the year to honor someone who spent his life fighting against these things. Anti- racist programs and educational events should be held in lieu of of regular classes on this day, January 19th. Status: This demand has been rejected. Although a number of programs in honor of Dr. King were held last year, some of these were poorly attended because classes and work commitments prevented many from attending. The University apparently does not see this day as important enough to warrant a pause in our regular business. Demand 12: The immediate removal of all those perpetrators of racist incidents front the dorms. Those who make racist threats and otherwise persecute and harass Minority students have demonstrated their inability to live in an integrated setting. The; victims and potential victims of these racist students should not be made to live, in fear of another, perhaps more serious, assault. This type of racist behavior is in clear violation of the University's housing lease and is therefore grounds for evictionI immediately. This type of sanction does not, repeat, does not, require theTi implementation of a code of non-academic conduct. UCAR realizes that a code will P be used against activists like ourselves, not I campus racists. Individuals who make,,c explicit or implicit threats against others can and should not only be evicted but criminally prosecuted. The University,, should help to guarantee both and they do, not need a code to do so. Status: This demand has been partially met because the University has asked the Couzens flyer culprit to leave. But, it has, given him considerable leeway as to when to leave. All students interested in supporting the UCAR demands can sign our petition against racism being circulated in the dorms and the Fishbowl this week. Also, all anti-racist students should wear a red or green armband to make campus racists feel like the minority that they are. Finally, there will be a teach-in on racism, Saturday, April 11th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.,; Anderson room, Michigan Union. Student' leaders from several other campuses will be with us for the teach-in. All are welcome. 4 4 LETTERS The Opinion page is looking for investigative researchers to have their own watchdog columns on particular local subjects, such as Ann Arbor housing, police and the court system. Call 747- 2814 Capitalist crisis causes racist climate \\ / a . _ l r Y " .ri.. O ". , : V i ..... To the Daily: Two recent racist incidents on campus (i.e., the racist flyer, at Couzens Hall and the racist "jokes" on a campus radio station) have dramatically brought the question of racism to the attention of U-M students. Most students realize that these two incidents (and others before it) are not isolated. The number and intensity of racist assaults against national minorities in the U.S., partic - ularly against Afro-Americans, has increased markedly during the past several years. The Howard Beach attack, the most recent of these events, stands out because of the viciousness of the assault and the death of Michael Griffith. Other incidents, not so highly publicized, have included the stoning of an Afro-American's home in Cleveland; the police torture, with stun guns, of Latino youths in Huntington Park, California; and the order by a racist sheriff in Louisiana to stop any Afro-American driving through white neigh- borhoods. The resurgence of these racist assaults does not indicate a rise in racism within the general population. Rather, it reflects a climate of racism rrentirt y n nv-rm-. tha which weakens the working class in its fight against the ruling class. Many people, who might be called passive racists, harbor racist ideas that obstruct building working class unity. A much smaller num - ber are pathological racist who commit terrorist acts against national minorities. The degree to which these people act out this pathology depends on the climate of racism - that is, whether it is "socially acceptable" to commit acts of violence and terror against national minorities. Two related causes of this climate of racist "permissive - ness" are the structural crisis of U.S. capitalism and the racist policies of the Reagan administration. Two. of the fundamental manifestation of the current crisis of captalism, as it affects the U.S., are a rise in the unemployment level and high levels of deficit spending. Unemployment is rising, in part, because capitalism has moved to other countries to exploit labor at a higher rate so that profits can continue to rise. This has resulted in a decline in the basic manufacturing industries, particularly auto and steel. Not only are Afro-Americans disnronortionatelv emninved in Reagan administration. The policies of Reaganism have been to support high levels of unemployment, particularly among Afro- American workers, while identifying those without jobs as the cause of unemployment, via racist theories of the "underclass," underachievers," and so forth. At the same time the military buildup is being financed through cutting social services. Again, those social services are disproportionately use by Afro-Americans. To buttress the racist effects of Reaganism, there has also been a concerted effort to destroy affirmative action, voting rights and school deseg, regation. The Reagan administration, therefore, has sought to create- an atmosphere in which it is- once again acceptable to com -, mit acts of racist violence and: terrorism. This atmosphere even seeps into the popular culture. Racist stereotypes in movies and TV have become familiar once again. The only way to stop the: rise in racist assaults is through building unity among: all people who oppose racism. Multi-racial organizations" rooted among workers and fighting racism and the policies, of Reaganism must be the key to turning back this tide of racism. -Michael Edwards Ann Arbor Club Communist Party USA: February 19; 4' I I 3XS v - ; * r' S.. -'N' o " " " . - i '.mt