Race-consciousness needed to reflect minorities' reality
by Ada Wilson

June 10, 2004

Equality. I fight for it every single day of my life. It's a simple word with a clear meaning -- but for some reason the concept appears to be impossible for some to grasp.

…Many people view affirmative action in higher education as an unnecessary handout that rewards unqualified students.

But minority applicants enrolled with the assistance of affirmative action are more than qualified to attend the universities that accept them.

…Manifest destiny destroyed the legacy that American Indians built on this land. Reconstruction ultimately hurt the African-American community more than it helped. And what ever happened to the 40 acres and the mule that former slaves were supposed to receive?

These are the issues that come to mind when people ask me to trust our current society and strive for the 'American Dream' -- yeah right.

But rather than wasting my time focusing on the contradictions within the system, I would rather work toward a permanent solution.

The answer is simply recruitment. Other colleges should follow UNC-Chapel Hill as the model institution for recruitment practices. Many people don't appreciate the University's efforts in recruiting African-American, American Indian, Hispanic and other underprivileged and underrepresented students.

After working with the Minority Student Recruitment Committee, I have learned that through immense student leadership UNC-CH has been able to rise above peer institutions; it's time for other states and other universities to follow our lead.

Programs such as Project Uplift, High School Honors Day, UNC Scholars Day, Decision Days, Native American Recruitment, Hispanic Recruitment and Pre-Orientation offer students an opportunity to pull in underrepresented students all across the state.

The hard work displayed by the MSRC volunteers and administrative staff is a true reflection of the passion that UNC-CH has for creating a diverse campus.

And although the number of underrepresented students has continued to increase on this campus, it still doesn't fully represent the racial proportions that exist in the state or in the country.

The staff of Project Uplift is working overtime right this second to educate qualified students on entering UNC-CH. Programs such as Project Uplift are a step in the right direction in the creation of a diverse campus.

Every single student at the University has a responsibility to uphold the racial integrity of this institution. If you are not helping the cause, you are definitely hurting it. I'm simply tired of hearing excuses. And, I am fed up with the lack of knowledge that University students have toward racially-based campus issues.

Now is the time for everyone to become aware of these issues. Let's not become another UC-Berkeley. Don't let poor enrollment become contagious.