by Roderic Williams

Created on: November 19, 2008

How can affirmative action be even considered as a step to lowering standards? Isn't the premise behind affirmative action to give "qualified" minorities a chance to attend and participate in predominantly white institutions and activities? The keyword in this statement is qualified, it's not like a minority with a 2.5 GPA will get into Yale over a white student with a 4.2 GPA. That's not the purpose of affirmative action. It's an opportunity to diversify and give opportunities to those who may not necessarily be able to get those opportunities. It's not a coincidence that the schools with the most rigorous educational curriculum are predominantly white universities. Is it wrong for minorities to want the best education possible? Look at the schools people aspire to attend, they're always Ivy League schools and always schools with a predominantly white population. Do you see white students lining up to attend Historically Black Colleges? In saying that affirmative action would lower standards it's implied that minorities can not live up to the standards and abilities of their white counterparts. Black students have to do the same work that White students have to do to make it to their prospective school. It's not like just because they're black, they're automatically getting into the school, the same hard work White students have to do, Black students have to do also.

Minorities are given scholarships to attend predominantly white institutions because they make less money than their white counterparts, this is a known fact. Affirmative action is definitely for equality because white students can get minority scholarships for attending historically black colleges and universities.

Yes, it's true that affirmative action is geared to help out minorities more so than the dominant race; however, had the opportunities for minorities to attend these institutions been present from the beginning, there would be no need for affirmative action. How can one look at a predominantly white school and a historically black college and claim that the standards needed to attend them are equal? Is Harvard, Princeton, or Yale comparable to Howard, Spelman, or Norfolk State? I don't believe anyone would argue against that. It's more favorable for a student to have graduated from a predominantly white institution, would you rather have Harvard or Bethume-Cookman on your resume?

All in all, affirmative action is geared to help individuals gain the knowledge and educations that they deserve. If standards are lowered for minorities to attend, then that trickles down to all applicants. Your gpa requirement can't be 3.7 for one student and 3.2 for a minority student, if you drop your gpa requirement, then your gpa requirement is 3.2 for your school. Affirmative action is for equality, the same professors and curriculums will still be in place regardless of who attends the school, so how would standards be lowered?

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