I have not read the Supreme Court decision, so this thought is purely personal and, I hope, theological (which is, for me, also personal). I think it is disingenuous for any person who has gotten assistance for some kind of deficit in their life to say that Affirmative Action should never happen. It is part of our nation’s antidote to some people having advantages, often systemic, over others. I will look at myself for this part. As I have written ad nauseam, I grew up with meager means. We had a house to live in and food to eat, but not much else. I did attend an excellent school system but got grades that were nothing to write home about (I was 312th out of 770). As I looked around at colleges with the help of my second mother, Mrs. Popik, I found out about a program that enabled small, regional colleges to recruit people that would make their student body more diverse, which, I guess, meant being from the NYC area. For reasons I have written about before, Wilmington College of Ohio seemed like it might be a good fit, so I applied for this program and was accepted.
It was simple; Wilmington, an almost all-white, mid-west college, would fly people from other parts of the country in for a visit. This was good since I couldn’t afford to do this myself. As a bonus, I met one of my best life-long friends on that trip, as well as lots of other students from the New York metropolitan area. Because my parents had no money, and I was smarter than my grades indicated, I was offered grants and a few loans to assist me. Since Wilmington checked off all the boxes, I decided to attend. It was a decision that has paid off a thousand-fold, and I will always be indebted to the college and the program for making that connection happen. This is affirmative action.
Yes – it is unfair to students who lose out when their race/ethnicity/gender is overrepresented. As a person with all of what used to be considered advantages (except for not having money, which is the biggest separation point), I have not been considered for jobs I was exceptionally qualified for. I know this because people involved in those interview committees told me so. I was upset and indignant about it until I found out how amazing the people they hired were. That made the sting of that loss a little less painful. I agree that every person should be judged by their achievements and merits, which is what affirmative action does. The problem is that most under-represented groups were not considered precisely because they weren’t the “right” color or gender. I don’t know how to solve the problem, but I do know that the old (white) boy’s club is a real thing, and it is trying to come back with a vengeance. And don’t even get me started on legacy admissions; this is the most blatant favoritism in the land. But money talks, right?
Everyone wants justice, as long as they end up on the winning side. Everyone wants equality, as long as they get the spot. Life isn’t fair, and some of us are born with more than others. We shouldn’t be punished for our parent’s not having what other parents have, nor should any students be punished for the color of their skin or their family’s generational wealth (or lack of it). Until someone comes up with the perfect formula, however, the scales of justice will need help being balanced. Some will get their first choice and others will not. Meanwhile, those who have been left out will get a chance to shine. That seems to me to be what should really matter.
Prayer – Holy God, we are all equal in Your sight and of Your making, but we are not all the same. Help us balance the scales of injustice so that everyone can win. Amen.
Today’s art is called “Healing Hand” by Nancy Rourke.