wfn.org | Church agencies help NAACP host rally at Supreme Court

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

April 2, 2003	  News media contact: Joretta Purdue7(202)
546-87227Washington	10-31-71BP{198}

NOTE: Photographs are available with this report. 

By Joretta Purdue*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Tents filled the small yard at the United Methodist
Building, providing support for the rally under way across the street at the
Supreme Court. 

Inside the courthouse, the justices were to hear arguments in two cases -
Grutter vs. Bollinger and Gratz vs. Bollinger - concerning affirmative action
in University of Michigan admissions policies. The court's decision, expected
this summer, will have implications for affirmative-action policies
nationwide.

Police lined up to keep the rally participants on the sidewalk, but the crowd
grew to fill the four-lane street. Thousands had traveled great distances to
express concern about the potential erosion of affirmative action. 

The April 1 rally, sponsored by the NAACP, drew appearances by people such as
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and the Rev. Al
Sharpton, as well as several United Methodist Church executives. 

Jim Winkler, chief executive of the Board of Church and Society, pointed to
the denomination's strong stand in support of affirmative action.

"It is an intentional effort to ensure that racial and ethnic minorities and
women of all colors have the chance to receive all the benefits of our
society including education, employment and housing," Winkler said in a
statement. "The church believes affirmative action opens doors so that all
persons will have the opportunity to pursue the American dream."

The board, which owns the United Methodist Building, together with the
denomination's Commission on Religion and Race and the Washington Office of
Public Policy, Women's Division of the Board of Global Ministries, joined in
welcoming the rally, which spilled into adjoining streets and continued
throughout the morning. The previous night, hundreds of college students
wrapped in blankets had held a vigil in front of the court.

"Affirmative action has been incorrectly labeled as giving preferential
treatment to people of color who are often less qualified," said the Rev.
Chester Jones in his statement. Jones is the chief executive of the
Commission on Religion and Race. "In reality, as admissions and employment
decisions are being made, race and ethnicity are one of many considerations."
Other factors, including academic achievement, athletic abilities and family
history, are also considered in such decisions, he said.

"The vast majority of affirmative action programs do not consider unqualified
applicants in the same pool as qualified applicants but rather consider
candidates who are very similarly qualified," Jones said. 

Although affirmative action is perceived as harmful to white men, "white men
hold structural power in society today," he said. "According to a Washington
Post study, the vast majority of corporate executives, political
officeholders, tenured professors (and) even small-business owners are white
men."

The number of white people who have entered the nation's 10 most elite
institutions of higher education through alumni preference is higher than the
number of blacks and Hispanics who have entered through affirmative action,
Jones said.

"Creating a society of opportunity for all people is what is at stake in the
Michigan affirmative action case," he asserted. "Institutionalized
segregation of the past and present still requires the remedy of affirmative
action to provide opportunity where opportunities have been and still are
being denied."

Jones urged United Methodists in their conference commissions on religion and
race to encourage colleges and universities in their areas to value racial
diversity in admission policies. He suggested monitoring how church-related
institutions work for a diverse student body.

He observed that 11 historically black colleges and universities are related
to the United Methodist Church. They were founded in a day when black
students were denied admission to most colleges. "Black institutions still
lead in educating the black community largely because racism still plagues
society," he said.

"Given the misconceptions that abound in the debate over affirmative action,
there are several reasons why we, as United Methodists, should continue to
stand strong in our support of affirmative action," Jones said. 

Both men pointed to the denomination's resolution on affirmative action - No.
150 in the 2000 Book of Resolutions. It says, in part, "No persons - whatever
their gender, their ethnic or racial heritage, their physical condition -
should be deprived of pursuing their education or employment aspirations to
the full extent of their talents and abilities."
# # #
*Purdue is United Methodist News Service's Washington news director.

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United Methodist News Service
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