Affirmative Action

California’s creative grassroots movement recognizing the importance of affirmative action may ultimately be a guiding force against discrimination across the nation.

Affirmative action has been a starkly divisive issue, pitting minority groups against each other throughout American history. Many believe that the Supreme Court’s elimination of affirmative action has now further divided minority groups. 

And now we have an answer on what the rules are. It’s an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and work on the issues we care about.

In a rare display of unity with our rivals across the bay, we concur. However, in the true fashion of Supreme Court decisions, we fail to wholeheartedly agree with its majority opinion. 

Despite the surge in applications from California freshmen in underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, many say that diversity on campus is inadequate and that resources for those students are not enough.

We have come a long way since I was a UC Berkeley student, and yet, there’s still much more we need to do to adequately represent the people of California.

Students, especially students of color, rely on SAPEP to help them attain higher education that might otherwise be impossible.

While affirmative action remains an imperfect policy, it will still take us a step closer to equal opportunity for everyone.

In a time filled with protests and challenges to old systems, it is only fitting that one of California voters’ most controversial decisions, Proposition 209, which prohibited public universities from considering race in admissions, is being given a second look. 

Today, ACA 5 has unanimous support from the UC regents, and voters deserve a chance to repeal a race-blind system that was tried and has failed.