Another step forward

Fighting the good fight

[Reprinted from Issues & Views June 2, 2003]

The National Association for Neighborhood Schools (NANS) reminds us of the continuing abuses stemming from the manipulation of the races in school districts and at colleges and universities. Sometimes this manipulation is government-driven, but often it is imposed by school administrators. In the current Spring 2003 edition of the NANS newsletter, in "Backing Away From Race," we learn some good news about changes occurring in a few places:

At least ten public and private universities including Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took action to end or alter summer programs that accept only minorities following a campaign by the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) and the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI).

The groups wrote letters to the universities, threatening to file complaints against them with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, if the programs were not changed. The Center for Equal Opportunity and the American Civil Rights Institute contacted Princeton in January regarding its Junior Summer Institute. Eligibility was limited to "students of color" in violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bans such discrimination on the grounds of race, color or national origin by recipients of federal funds.

If Princeton did not end the discrimination, the threat was that a formal complaint would be filed with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education which administers Title VI with respect to federally funded schools. The Ford Foundation, which had initially funded the program, had concluded five years ago that the program was discriminatory and had stopped its funding.

MIT's summer program excluded whites and Asians. A complaint was actually filed with the Office for Civil Rights. The result was that MIT decided to end the racial exclusivity of its program.

For more information on the struggle to reform race policies in public schools and colleges, visit the website of the National Association for Neighborhood Schools. Inquire about membership in NANS to receive the organization's informative hard copy newsletter (e-mail: RHaws@aol.com).