The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2006 - 7
Al Sharpton addresses BAMN members railing in the Diag. Sharpton compared working against
the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative to working in Mississippi during the civil rights movement.
Sharpton blasts MCRI
BAMN, high school students signatures were gathered by providing false and
misleading information to the public, including
voice opposition to MCRI, telling people that it was an initiative that favored
clash with counter-protestors affirmative action.
BAMN brought together college and high school
Oct. 28, 2005 supporters of affirmative action in a rally to voice
By Laura Frank all of these concerns.
Daily Staff Reporter Sharpton called on students to come together to
stand against racism and defeat MCRI.
The Diag was transformed into a hotbed for polit- "Only those that fight will get what they deserve,"
ical discussion yesterday, with a number of student he said. "So you stand up and stay strong, and we
groups voicing their opinions on affirmative action. will win this fight by any means necessary."
Two events in particular took the main stage: a BAMN hopes the rally will send a message to
rally held by pro-affirmative action group BAMN, government officials in Lansing that young peo-
during which former presidential candidate Al ple in Michigan support affirmative action and
Sharpton spoke and high school students engaged - that the policy is an essential part of promot-
in profanity-laced shouting matches with affirma- ing racial equality in general, said Ben Royal,
tive action opponents; and a day-long demonstra- a BAMN organizer and graduate student in the
tion put on by campus minority groups, in which School of Education.
students wore gags to represent the loss of minority To demonstrate this support, BAMN orga-
voices they said would occur if affirmative action nized buses to bring more than 1000 middle
is eliminated in the state. and high school students from Detroit public
Both groups were on the Diag to protest the schools to the event.
Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, a ballot initia- "The fight to defeat the MCRI in Michigan
tive that, if passed, would make it illegal for public right now is the front line," he said, adding that
institutions in Michigan, including universities, to ending affirmative action would be a step back
consider race, ethnicity, national origin or sex in toward segregation, Jim Crow and inequality
employment or admissions decisions. between men and women.
Sharpton, an outspoken advocate of affirmative BAMN organizers said they hope the rally
action, stood on the steps of the Hatcher Graduate will influence the decision of the Michigan
Library and compared the fight against MCRI in Court of Appeals when it hears their case for
Michigan to the fight for civil rights in Mississippi keeping MCRI off the ballot.
during the 1960s. . Standing at the back of the rally was a small
"It is hypocritical to mourn Rosa Parks and then group of University students opposed to affir-
try to make sure her grandchildren can't get an mative action and the methods BAMN uses to
education," he said. promote its agenda.
In January, supporters of MCRI collected Affirmative action is outdated and ineffectual,
enough signatures from Michigan residents to said Matthew Gage, a LSA senior and events chair
place the issue on the November 2006 ballot. of College Republicans.
Public opinion polls in Michigan have indi- "It's been around for 40 years, and you look at
cated that MCRI has public support, meaning the numbers, it's just not working," Gage said.
affirmative action could become illegal a year In addition, affirmative action has increased
from now. tensions between the races, Gage said. A more
Opponents of the initiative criticize MCRI for effective and fair system would be one based on
a number of reasons, including the effects it will socioeconomic status instead of race, he added.
have and the methods used by the initiative's pro- The anti-affirmative action protestors also
ponents to gather petition signatures. alleged that BAMN uses violence "including
Among these criticisms is a claim that end- physical violence and property destruction" to
ing affirmative action will reverse the prog- achieve its goals.
ress blacks have made since the Civil Rights As an example of this violence, Gage cited an
movement, as well as research indicating that incident last July in which students at a BAMN
ending affirmative action would also hurt pro- rally in Lansing looted a nearby cafeteria.
grams that favor women. Allegations of violence against BAMN are only
Those opposing MCRI also allege its petition rumors and are "totally unfounded," Royal said.