College admissions affirmative action policies are woefully clumsy, laughable not laudable, unfairly preferential, meritoriously demeaning and easily perverted. I am a beneficiary and a proponent of such policies.
I benefit in the following ways:
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I am black.
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I am a graduate of a Detroit public high school.
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My SAT score was 1260, but I was third in my class in the most demanding curriculum in the system.
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I showed promise in an impromptu interview with a recruiter from the College Admissions Office.
But in what kind of world should these qualities be made advantageous for admission to a first-rate institution like Dartmouth? A world in which there exists a permanent class of people made intellectually and economically inferior by overt and covert policies and practices of racial bias and prejudice? A world that favors quick fixes over methods that may gradually ameliorate existing societal failings and indignities? A world in which people like me exist? To put it succinctly and candidly, this is that kind of world.
Affirmative action policies in college admissions offices are meant for people like me. These would-be talented people who have received substandard educations by no fault of their own; those who frequently witness the moral and intellectual failing of man and are induced to follow suit; those whose ethnicity is remarkably under-represented in both higher education and white collar vocations; those who aren't necessarily groomed or equipped for the trials of collegiate application; those who may provide a distinct perspective in classroom discussions and bring a unique flavor to an institution; those who are members of a caste that has long been denied the autonomous existence that education provides. (The pontification could go on and on.)
Affirmative action policies assure that all segments of the population are represented on all levels of society. What is unnatural about the policies as a whole is that they attempt to right in a generation or two what has been eluded for nearly 20: minority progress and prosperity. This sort of drastic government intervention is, understandably, unsettling for some, including those who prefer the least level of government involvement in their daily lives. This action is also frightening for those don't wish to see minorities succeed (yes, these people still exist). So, in my case, you have a person who scored a 1260 on the SAT (a relatively low score compared to the median of my class) and had a near 4.00 GPA but took only two AP courses (the only two offered at my school where AP credits don't boost one's average). My extracurriculars weren't entirely impressive -- I was a member of the school ecological awareness society -- but my essays and the aforementioned interview showed promise. So, why do I deserve to be here? Surely, there was a young person somewhere who applied and had more imposing credentials.
Come to think of it in fact, there was an article that was published in the local paper during my senior year in high school regarding a suburban fellow who applied to Dartmouth and was turned down. If I recall correctly, this young man was from Bloomfield Hills, one of the more affluent suburbs. He had an SAT score in the low 1400s and was a member of the school band. His GPA was about the same as mine, but he had been taking three AP courses. When one cursorily compares our credentials -- and pretends we were vying for the last spot in the Class of 2001-- this young man should have been admitted in my place, right? Right.
But let us consider the opportunities and experiences we've each had, in terms of operating expenditures, the amount that each district spends on every pupil. Operating expenditures per pupil for Detroit schools were $6,984 in 1996-97. Expenditures per pupil in 1996-97 for Bloomfield Hills schools were $10,578. The disparity can be attributed to a fundamental difference in property taxes, and hence, property values. Now, low property values tend to make residents apathetic about their communities. Residents begin to tolerate the drug dealer next door or the neighbors who shoot their pistols into the air at any hour of the night (or day) or the truants who regularly patrol the streets at all hours of the day. These are the sorts of things we deal with here. And excluding the perilous nature of the business, drug dealing can be very lucrative. And truancy, I've found, is one of the more virulent strains of school sicknesses. My point is that many impressionable and smart young people learn that education and its pursuit are little more than a government requirement and that the two have no redeeming virtues or foreseeable prospects for a marvelous future. Affirmative action works to show that there is a future. A future that one has to work toward. A future that promises incredible returns for making the most of one's $7,000-a-year education. It displays a willingness on the part of the government to recompense for the miserable existences of the nation's living, forgotten souls, the despised who've known nothing more than what they've been forced to live.
A recent University of Michigan study found that "students in a diverse environment had increased scores on a test used to measure complex thinking, more motivation to achieve, and greater intellectual self-confidence and engagement" (Detroit Free Press). So, the next time you score highly on a test, I'd appreciate a thank-you note. Also, the young man from Bloomfield Hills just telephoned from the more creative sections of my brain to say, "No hard feelings about taking my place." Nice fellow he is.
