Opinion: What would Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Do?
Ann My Thai
Issue date: 1/16/06 Section: Opinion
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As we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded of how his legacy is a distinct one that transcends color, religion, class, and politics. His cause for equality and peace remains salient today, more than 50 years after he appeared on the national stage. Considering the events of the last year, with the three-week long race riots among the minority underclass in France, and the shocking inequalities between the black and white citizens of New Orleans exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it is clear that Dr. King's dream has not yet been fully realized.
The University of Michigan has been at the forefront of the battle for civil rights in last decade with the University and its laws school defending affirmative action in the 2003 Grutter and Gratz Supreme Court cases. The next decisive civil rights confrontation in Michigan is slated for the 2006 Election when the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative appears on the ballot. Instigated by former University of California regent Ward Connerly, the MCRI proposes to end racial preferences, and therefore many affirmative action programs. Proponents argue that the initiative's passage would ensure Dr. King's vision of a "colorblind society," while critics argue that doing so would slow advancement toward Dr. King's goal of racial equality. With both camps claiming ownership of Dr. King, I was left to wonder, what would MLK do?
Having successfuly pushed two similar initiatives in California (Proposition 209) and Washington (Initiative 200), Connerly would enjoy a "three-peat" in successfully using electoral politics to influence racial policy if the MCRI is passed in 2006. These policies' impact reveals that they are a step backward in the advancement of women and minorities. At UC Berkeley, enrollment of African-American students dropped dramatically from 7.8 percent to 3.7 percent between the years Proposition 209 was enacted, an over 50 percent drop. After I-200 was enacted in Washington, The Seattle Times reported that the share of Seattle public contracts awarded to female- or minority-owned businesses dropped by more than one quarter. With effects such as these, it seems dubious as to whether Dr. King would have supported the MCRI.
The University of Michigan has been at the forefront of the battle for civil rights in last decade with the University and its laws school defending affirmative action in the 2003 Grutter and Gratz Supreme Court cases. The next decisive civil rights confrontation in Michigan is slated for the 2006 Election when the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative appears on the ballot. Instigated by former University of California regent Ward Connerly, the MCRI proposes to end racial preferences, and therefore many affirmative action programs. Proponents argue that the initiative's passage would ensure Dr. King's vision of a "colorblind society," while critics argue that doing so would slow advancement toward Dr. King's goal of racial equality. With both camps claiming ownership of Dr. King, I was left to wonder, what would MLK do?
Having successfuly pushed two similar initiatives in California (Proposition 209) and Washington (Initiative 200), Connerly would enjoy a "three-peat" in successfully using electoral politics to influence racial policy if the MCRI is passed in 2006. These policies' impact reveals that they are a step backward in the advancement of women and minorities. At UC Berkeley, enrollment of African-American students dropped dramatically from 7.8 percent to 3.7 percent between the years Proposition 209 was enacted, an over 50 percent drop. After I-200 was enacted in Washington, The Seattle Times reported that the share of Seattle public contracts awarded to female- or minority-owned businesses dropped by more than one quarter. With effects such as these, it seems dubious as to whether Dr. King would have supported the MCRI.
