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College Life: Should race be considered for college admissions?
In order to candidly answer this question one must thoroughly look at the history from which it originated, specifically, the historical educational aspects and implications. Currently both the arguments for and against the use of race as a consideration for college admissions are bogged down with points that have nothing to do with the answer. The most common arguments are: 1) It is reverse discrimination, and that 2) It gives the impression that African Americans are not capable of competing intellectually. Both of these arguments are based on personal emotion and the latter is typically brought by the very people race consideration for college admission is intended to benefit.

The first argument assumes that race as a consideration for college admissions was somehow implemented to retaliate for the wrongs of the past rather than correct the effects of the past. They argue that they are paying for the sins of others, which would be true if the purpose was to punish rather than correct. But, this is not the case. The purpose was to correct the negative impact that deprivation of education has had on a particular race of people (even though all minorities and females of all races were included). This opposing view also leads to the argument that 40 years is long enough to correct whatever negative impact such deprivation created. In my opinion, the Civil Rights Act was merely signed into law 40 years ago, but it was not implemented at that time.

For example, Prince George's County, Maryland did not implement a comprehensive desegregation plan until 1973. During the 1974-75 school year a Massachusetts Judge implemented the first phase of a remedy to segregation in Boston. These are historical truths, which were still playing out across the nation years after the Civil Rights Act, with its Affirmative Action policy, was signed into law. This means that during this time the so-called separate but equal practice was yet in place.

Furthermore, even if the mandates of the Civil Rights Act had been genuinely implemented 40 years ago, has there been enough time to "level the playing field"? I think not. This point brings to mind a program I saw on Frontline a while back called "A Class Divided". In this program a teacher conducted a diversity experiment in which she labeled her 4th grade students based on eye color. She started out by announcing to her class that brown-eyed people

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