Newspaper Page Text
Affirmative action: “radical republican” example
By Jack Kemp
NNPA News Feature
The scene is Washington: a re
publican president, new to the
White House, defiantly throw
ingdown the gauntlet toarepub
lican Congress, saying he will
veto any bill that proposes to do
more for “black Americans” than
for “whites.” This is not some
fast-forward vision of 1997 and
the first days of a new republican
White House. It’s a flashback to
1866. The agency to be vetoed
was the Freedman’s Bureau, es
tablished in President Lincoln’s
administration to “affirmative
ly” assist the recently emanci
pated African Americans. The
president — Andrew Johnson,
Lincoln’s successor — worried
that any “affirmative action”
would hurt the white population
by specifically helping “Negroes.”
loffer this page from history —
not to prove once again that, po
litically, there is not much new
under the sun — but toillustrate
that the issues of race and equal
ity are woven into the essence of
our American experience. While
our present-day passions on the
subject of affirmative action open
old wounds, they also summon
us to moral leadership of
Lincolnesque proportions.
Thus far the summons goes
unanswered by both liberals and
conservatives alike. The unre
constructed liberal nation of end
less racial reparations and race
based preferences is doubly
guilty: wrong in principle and
ruinous in practice. President
Clinton’s much-vaunted affirma
tive action review produced more
ofabumpersticker thana policy:
Clinton’s focus-group-fashioned
“mend it, notend it” slogan makes
a far better rhyme than reason.
The same, however, is true of
the new affirmative-action “abo
litionist” position, which heralds
equality but seldom addresses
Augusta Dance & Music Center
Presents
The WYNTON MARSALIS SEPTET
FYiekets on Sale Now!
in concert at
lmperial Theater
(706) 722-8541
Saturday, August 19, 1995
at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: sl7.soreserved
:['}l(w’l* more information contacts
Aungusta Dance & Music Center (7()()) 757-5767
the way to truly give all people
an equal footing. Critics areright
in asserting that “affirmative ac
tion” quotas have contributed to
the poisoning of race relations in
this country. But critics must
offer much more than just oppo
sition and reproach. We know
what they are against, but what
are they for?
“A colorblind society,” comes
their response. Of course, the
goal of equal opportunity is par
amount and a worthy destiny to
seek. But to say that we have
arrived at that goal is simply not
true. My friends on the right call
for a colorblind society and then
quote Martin Luther King’s in
spirational “I have a dream”
speech, in which he imagined a
nation in which every American
would be judged not on the color
of his or her skin but on the
“content of his character.” All too
often, though, they neglect to
quote the end ofhis speech, where
he describes the painful plight of
minority America: “The Negro,”
King said, “lives on a lonely is
land of poverty in the midst of a
vast ocean of material prosperi
tvie
Much has changed in the 30
vears since King stood on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Minority enterprises have begun
togainafoothold, although there
are far too few of them. But can
anyone venture tothe crumbling
brick and mortar of Cabrini
Green Public Housing, or the
fear-ridden projects of Bed-Stuy,
or the streets lined with the un
employed in South Central LA or
East St. Louis and believe that
what he sees there today would
pass as progress since Dr. King’s
day?
This is not to negate the gains
made by so many in the black
and minority communities. But
for large numbers the situation
has not only not improved in 30
vears, it has grown dramatically
RAC e oTi U S AR T B AL i\ T
CNA Rabes .&méfif‘e Aty
PAR AR A(R TR g, e i
i FaT #
‘N‘ e }vl
; I‘_"' bR
o
’ (ot I}
. 'z 4 } I 4
: K o it
! I '.ll £ o "’;1: :
: § '. 7 Eoi
) P o nt ass LR
|i g o
e ¥
s Pll , t
o e : ' ;
2 E i!! v YR
5 i > 28
ii,t!< z 4 " ';'
8% ‘ ¥ ‘i g '
P Ja
;mm & ‘ t .e
%j ‘ e ‘ oA
ig IO RN 4T - SO BT T L
okt ‘6*:s A fi:?a &;i? ¥
e e e
WYNTON MARSALIS
Closer Look
worse — with a welfare system
that entraps rather than empow
ers, punishes work and marriage
and prevents access to capital,
credit and property.
Realityrequires that we admit
two things— difficult admissions
for both liberals and conserva
tives. First, that arace-conscious
policy of quotas and rigid prefer
ences has helped make matters
worse. Second, and more impor
tant, the Good Shepherd reminds
all of usthat our work is not done
and, as we think about moving
into the 21st century, we must
not leave anyone behind.
Sound policy begins with
strong principles. Affirmative
action based on quotas is wrong
— wrong because it is antitheti
cal to the genius of the American
idea ofindividual liberty. Count
ing by race in order to remedy
past wrongs or rewarding spe
cial groups by taking from others
perpetuates and even deepens
the divisions between us. But
race-based politics is even more
wrong and must be repudiated
by men and women of civility
and compassion.
Instead, like the “radical re
publicans” of Lincoln’s day, who
overrode President Johnson’s
veto on the Freedman’s Bureau,
we would honor the past by cre
ating a future more in keeping
with our revolutionary founding
ideal of equality. In this way, the
eventual ending of affirmative
action is only beginning —the
political predicate ofa new prom
ise of outreach in the name of
greater opportunity for access to
capital, credit, prosperity, jobs
and educational choice for all.
The time has definitely come
for a new approach, an “affirma
tive action” based not just on
gender or race or ethnicity but
ultimately based on need. “Affir
mative” because government
authority must be employed to
remove the obstacles to upward
WYN’
mobility and human advance
ment. “Action” because demo
cratic societies must act positive
ly and create real equality of
opportunity, without promising
equality of reward.
Affirming opportunity in
America begins with education.
America’s schools, particularly
our urban public schools, are
depriving minority and low-in
come children of the education
that may be their passport out of
poverty. Even the poorest par
ent must have the option more
affluent families enjoy: the right
to send their children to the
school of their choice. Affirma
tive effort means ending the ed
ucational monopoly that makes
poor public-school students into
pawns of theeducational bureau
cracy. And we should be paving
the way to a voucher and magnet
school system of public and pri
vate school choice.
Opportunity means an
entryway into the job market.
That means removing barriers
to creation and entrepreneur
ship, and expanding access to
capital and credit. According to
the Wall Street Journal, from
1982 to 1987, the number of
black-owned firms increased by
nearly 38 percent, about triple
the overall business growth rate
during that period. Hispanic
owned businesses soared by 81
percent. Firms owned by women
expanded by 57 percent, and their
sales nearly tripled.
Even so, of the 14 million small
businesses in existence across
the U.S. today, fewer than 2 per
centareblack-owned. And of $27-
to S2B trillion of capital in this
country, less than one percent is
in black ownership.
Affirmative effort would take
aim at expanding capital and
credit as thelifeblood of business
formation and job creation — in
cluding an aggressive effort to
end the red-lining of our inner
' \ F B A 4
People who make §¥.Bsé
things happen
” B B ‘ 7; i ‘
' 4 S 7 !?
[} T
We've got to stop o F &
youth violence or - WP\
77 T R A T N ¥
WlO RT T 5 o
. ’*é/ E TR
B i ‘ ' 1y
P a&(’f . »
. o A (- ' | A
The leading cause of death among our :
Black youth is homicide. Gang membership
and gun possession continue to be on the
risc. According to Hugh Price. the new,
dynamic leader of the National Urban
League. this is anissue that must be tackled
- head-on. By making 3’()1111;.: people the focus
of his agenda, Price, the NUL and its 114 affil
jates are trying to get our Kids off the strects
50 they can do what so many others may not
)-g » K s
- . L Al y
L. g s ¥ G
4 7t 2 ) 97
fl;/ ' - . ;‘
%-2 ) ] k
' P , ~ / i
e ) ) b
N LS v %
TP T "nwri
% & % % y 7 i 3 .
BN ~ T b 3 /
AUGUSTA FOCUS
cities and a radical redesigningi
of our tax code to remove barri-|
ers to broader ownership of cap- |
ital, savings and credit. |
Opportunity means the ability |
toaccumulate property. Affirma
tive effort would mean an end to
every federal program that pe
nalizes the poor for managing to |
save and accumulate their own |
assets. An AFDC mother’s thrift [
and foresight in putting money |
away for a child’s future should |
not be penalized by the govern- ’
ment welfare system as fraud, as ’
is currently the case. Finally, real |
opportunity for racial and ethnic
reconciliation requires an ex
panding economy — one that |
invites the effort and enterprise ‘
of all Americans, including mi- |
norities and women. A real pro- J
growth policy must include poli
cies ranging from enterprise |
zones in our cities to a commit- l
ment to lowering barriers to glo
bal trade. It should also offer
relief from red tape, and regula- ’
tion and freedom from punitive
tax policies. Each is part of an ‘
affirmative action that can “move i
America forward without leav- |
ing anyone behind.” |
Now that we have opened a l
somewhat hysterical dialogue on |
affirmative action, we can never |
go back, only forward. Our chal- 1
lenge is to put aside the past, |
abandon the endless round of :
recrimination and politics that |
feeds on division, exclusion, an- i
ger and envy. We must reaffirm,
as Lincoln did at his moment of
maximum crisis, a vision of the
“better angels of our nature” —a |
big-hearted view of the nation |
we were always meant to become |
and must become if we are to i
enter the 21st century as the |
model of liberal democracy and |
market-oriented capitalism the |
world needs to see.
Mr. Kemp is the former secre- 1
tary of housing and urban devel- |
opment. '
gct the chance to do = grow up. .
Anhcuser-Busch supports the National )
Urban League. just as we support other edu
cational and cultural programs. community
projects and the descelopment of minority
businesses.
At Anhcuser-Busch, we're committed to
IR RO R IR
IETNGYGRYPAIE L_J COMPANIES ek
R
August 17, 1995
Bi
laS
From page one
“I don’t think you can get rid of
it totally,” said Sandifer, an ac
countingspecialist at Central Pied
mont Community College. “On the
one hand, you don’t want to be
lieve it’s still necessary. But I'm
afraid it is.”
Sheilah Green, a personnel di
rector in Mebane, said she still
sees discrimination.
“Women get paid less — I know,
I work in payroll,” said Green,
who is white.
“Affirmative action gives ev
ery body an equal chance. I know
there are abuses, but if they take
it away, it’s going to go back the
other way,” Green said.
A number of respondents,
some of whom supported affirma
tive action policies in the past, say
its time has passed.
“It was necessary because of
the racism and slavery from the
past, but the question is, is it time
to drop it? I think everybody does
now have the same opportuni
ties,” said Murray Hemsley, a
marketing manager in Charlotte
who is white.
Although she admits her ca
reer has benefited because she is
awoman, Kim Bone, whois white,
said she thinks affirmative action
is unfair.
“I've seen a handicapped white
female get a job that a more qual
ified white male didn’t get,” she
said.
“I have seen a lot of people
with education and qualification
not get jobs because of affirmative
action,” said Bone, 28, a former
human resources worker who now
works in sales and marketing ad
ministration in Dunn.
Frustration with a difficult
economic and job environment is
largely responsible for the anti
affirmativeaction sentiment, said
Stephen Hayford, an associate
professor at the Babcock School of
Management at Wake Forest
University.
9