(ThyBlackMan.com) Affirmative Action is no small matter. It is important to understand it from the standpoint of your own community, but also how it affects the communities around you. Part of the issue in this country is there is a consistent history of divide and conquer. The people that have struggles in common, or would be able to relate to each other, are not allowed to come together in solidarity as a whole. We might see a few people in different groups understand the need for solidarity…but it is usually not enough to heal the divide. There are Black people in this country that don’t mind the POC [People Of Color] designation; they welcome the idea of all POCs coming together and working together. However, there are some Black people that take the stance there are POCs, and then there are Black people. They make the distinction because how we came to be in this country is different, and though we are all facing struggles in this country they are not the same. The history of each minority group in America is different and should be respected.
The problem some of our people face is the systemic racism has told the world they should see and treat Black people as the system does. Therefore, there is internal contention between too many POCs and Black people because the propaganda spread by this country is that we are not worthy of humane treatment. We are lazy, unintelligent, untrustworthy, animalistic, hyper-sexual, and violent by nature. If that is how one is viewed, finding solidarity is difficult. However, the bigger problem is the group that is deemed all of these negative things would lay the foundation for civil rights for every minority group. Hijacking said blueprint or undoing it for personal elevation is the main issue.
Affirmative Action was supposed to level a playing field that has always been, and continues to be, unfair to minority groups. However, Black people in America were fighting at the heart of that battle. This is important because how Affirmative Action would be rescinded, and other vices that could take the space of a qualified person were neglected to be added to the arguments of the case brought forward regarding Affirmative Action. It is important to note that even with Affirmative Action in place, many Black students with high GPA’s and test scores still get denial letters from the countries most prestigious institutions. This is important because the case was brought forth by the Asian community regarding Harvard and the University if North Carolina for the same reason. They argued the schools discriminated against them when they had higher test scores and grades then other racial groups including White students. This was the case Anti-Affirmative Action activists were waiting for because Black people were at the core of Affirmative Action in its making; it is important to note UNC did not accept Black students REGARDLESS OF QUALIFICATION until 1955.
However, a different minority group would be at the core of the striking down of Affirmative Action. The Asian students bringing this case might have felt they won, but Legacy admission stands so there are loopholes at these universities that take more seats away from them than Affirmative Action. Furthermore, one can argue all minorities lost…especially Black people.
The divide has gotten wider as no one seemed to be thinking about the long-term ramifications of making Affirmative Action the poster child for why one wasn’t admitted, when legacy admission is still untouched. Some will argue this is a catch 22 as there will be universities where other Asian students that are qualified may be barred from admission because there is nothing standing anymore to defend their right to has a space in the academic setting. This is what Black people already know. Unfortunately, many of our people will walk away feeling this was a direct yet covert slap in the face of so much Black people have worked towards in terms of equality.
Since it seems that the propaganda against Black people in this country is second to now, its easy to deduce that our students may run into a fight in academia that they only read about in history books. It makes some Black people double down on the position that we are not POCS, we are Black. We are not considered in the POC agenda unless we are fighting for something that other minorities will benefit from more so than those than are bleeding behind the cause. This Supreme Court decision is something we’ll be fighting about in this country for decades. Unfortunately, all minorities might not be fighting together though that would be the best course of action. Several Black people that sat at the table of POC just got up. We must prepare further for the right to exist when qualified.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; C. Starr and also Twitter; MrzZeta.
Also via email at; CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com.