Race in Michigan

Remember Jennifer Gratz? After being denied admission to the University of Michigan law school due to her race (white), she appealed to the US Supreme Court to rule on race in admissions policy. Now she and Ward Connerly, an African-American businessman who helped pass bans on affirmative action in California and Washington, are fighting for a Michigan ballot initiative against affirmative action in Michigan.

Affirmative Action tends to divide Republicans and Democrats along party lines. While I am against the use of government forcing others to discriminate based on race, I think Republicans do need to be more sensitive to racism and the disadvantages that many minority Americans face in our nation. Greater attention (and money) should be invested into reducing the racial gap in the educational performance of young children. Those, including myself, who wish to end affirmative action, need to propose and actively support other means to end racism and make the playing field more equal for all Americans.