Word: michigan
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Fight Over Affirmative Action in Michigan The man behind the California racial preference ban is back at it again, this time in Michigan, where his ballot initiative could prevail over a strong, organized opposition
...seemed racial preference programs had won an important victory in 2003, when a Supreme Court that included seven members appointed by Republicans ruled that universities could provide special consideration to minorities, as long as they didn't use strict point systems like the one that the University of Michigan's undergraduate program had used. (The school gave 20 points on a 150-point scale for being black or Hispanic, and Gratz was the plaintiff in the suit that ruled it unconstitutional...
...recent poll by the Detroit News showed people in Michigan have complicated, if not contradictory, views on the subject of affirmative action. When read the statement "even though affirmative action may be unfair to some individuals, the good that it has done makes up for that," 45% of respondents said yes, while 42% said no. Although 75% praised the virtues of a "diverse student body," 53% said "affirmative action wrongly sends a message to minorities and women that they are not capable enough" and 60% disagreed with the notion that "affirmative action is needed to compensate minorities and women...
...their arguments squarely at them, warning of the loss of funding for programs that promote women in traditionally male-dominated fields like engineering. Connerly's group says "race trumps gender" in affirmative action, and Gratz offers herself as living proof, arguing she was kept out of the University of Michigan because she wasn't black or Hispanic...
...Whatever happens in Michigan, this won't be the last word on a divisive debate that has lasted for decades. The Supreme Court, with two new conservatives on the bench, could rule next year in the Seattle and Louisville cases that race cannot be considered at any level of education. But win or lose, Connerly and Gratz say they are committed to ending affirmative action wherever they can. And if Connerly heads to another state, the NAACP and other groups are likely to take him on. His battle may feel lonely, but his opponents will make sure he has lots...