Quote:
Originally posted by Boo
I was born a poor white child.
When the time came, there was no money for higher education. If I was a minority I could have gotten near a full ride.
Affirmative action in todays society is complete BULLSHIT, like it was 20 years ago. It boils my blood to think that a poor (financially challenged) child in todays society would get overlooked because of his/her caucasioness.
I fully agree.
Speak your reasons please. Remember that whitey will BE the minority in just a few short decades. Will whitey be afforded the benefits of affirmative action?
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I don't understand your point. If you were truly as disadvantaged as you seem to imply, you would have gotten a free ride based on economic need.
I don't know of any student who was turned away based on economic need. In fact, all top tier universities' application sites explicitly state that no one will be denied education for lack of funds.
You may have to attend a two-year community college and a state university, but if you want to get a Ph. D. and can't, it won't be because you didn't have enough money to pay for the tuition (which is extremely discretional in terms of who pays what by that point).
Quote:
Originally posted by losthellhound
Black out people's names, race, age, and sex.. go by grades, extra curricular activities, and resume.. that way there is a balance between people who could spend all thier time at the books, and others who had to work while they were in school..
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Of course, race plays an interesting role in the way grades are distributed--namely, perceptions of one's capabilities as well as who has access to which graders (ability, academic esteem, etc.)
Race plays an integral part in the types of activities one can engage in outside of school.
Race also correlates with who knows how to create a resume, what they can put on it, or even knowing that such a thing exists.
Presumably, school counselors would try and prod certain children along a college track, but some schools don't have any college track children (or think they don't) or have too limited resources to spend on all children equally.
Class position plays a significant role with these issues as well, I won't deny that they don't. So we can expect that poor white kids would be disadvantaged in these respects, too. But the intersection of race and class is even more destructive--a poor, black kid is likely to face even more disadvantages than a poor, white kid.
For these reasons, I don't agree that marking out one's race will level the playing field.