By LEIGHA BAUGHAM
Columnist
In the last election, California set a precedent. Citizens of that state passed a proposition called the California Civil Rights Inititative. CCRI effecitvely did away with affirmative action altogether.
For many it came as a shock and for others it came as a blessing. If you had asked me even last year, I most likely would have given a long drawn out opinion as to the unfairness of the quota system. Then I saw affirmative action as a hindrance to one�s personal freedom and to universal equality. I have always wanted to excel, but not in order to appease a quota so that it would appear that the personnel department was �politically correct.� However, in a short time period, my eyes have been opened to the fact that even though great strides have been in race relations in the United States, equality seems to occur mainly in theory.
Becoming a senior has shown me the rigors of the college application process. I have never before been merely a faceless number among so many other numbers. Today in the U.S., African-American students have a great deal to overcome. Ironically, it is not because of genetic differences, but because of the thinking of others. I must admit that the thought of going through my professional career without affirmative action is somewhat daunting. I have never felt that I am entitled to anything because I happen to be a �darker berry.� I just feel that there needs to be some way to allow black students to get their foot in the door.
The question that most prominently sticks in my mind is how many �Cosby� families do you see versus �Brady Bunch� families? I can attest to the fact that is extremely difficult to propel yourself everyday when you are constantly bombarded with the stereotypical �boys from the hood.� It is so inviting to just give up and conform to those standards or lack thereof that people seem to have already set for you. It would be so much easier if I could just blend in and become what everyone expects. Yet every moment of my life is spent trying to squash that prejudgment. And for that reason, and that reason only, do I feel that affirmative action should remain. For it is a lot harder to succeed when you come from the urban ghetto than it is when you are blessed with a four-car garage.
However, I don�t think that I could completely express my point of view if I neglected to mention the fact that affirmative action does have its faults. I have heard the frustration of white males who have had their various talents to offer the world but who had a hard time getting into a certain career because they were white males and their numbers in those fields were far greater than that of African American females.
Sadly, I must say that I have no definite solution to offer, but I must ask will we ever play on a level playing field? Yes, because we are blessed with the gift of love. But that is many years away. Blacks have made great strides in terms of education and employment over the last four decades since the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. One day the time will come to say good-bye to affirmative action. That day is not here yet, but I hope that it comes sooner than later. CCRI is headed in the right direction. We must have a color-blind society. But the legacy of the pre-Civil Rights era cannot be overcome in a single generation. America receives high marks for her progress, but she has many miles to travel before we truly judge one another by the content of our character and not the color of our skin.
Thus, I have flip-flopped on this issue. Yet in the long run I want America to be a nation that has outgrown quotas. When will that occur? I�m not sure, but I hope my children will see that day.
Leigha Baugham is a senior at BLS. She is a member of the National Honor Society and all-state orchestra. Next fall she plans to attend UNC-Chapel Hill, where she will major in music.
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