AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OP-ED

More than just an Op-Ed: 800 Words Ain’t Enough (Yes, Ain’t Is A Word) –

Reaction to the Supreme Court of the United States decision on Students for Fair Admissions Inc v President and Fellows of Harvard College.

As a Black woman, a mother to young Black boys, and a college access professional working in a city that is predominantly Latino/a/x, African American/Black, and AANHPI the recent SCOTUS decision is hard to reckon with. The decision to deem race-based consideration in college admissions decisions unconstitutional, effectively banning affirmative action is yet another example of our country’s lawmakers, elected officials, and politicians desire to hop in the Delorean and take the United States of America back to the early 1900s. Unfortunately, this is a place we have been in before. In 1996 California voters passed Proposition 209, banning the University of California from considering race in their admissions decisions, and to this day, UC campuses across the state* are having trouble recovering from the decline in diversity in the student population. Once the state deemed “race did not matter anymore”, outreach stopped in communities that have been generationally and systemically under-resourced – like the one I grew up in in Sacramento, and like the ones many of the students I work with live in. Now the outreach that does occur, in communities like Stockton, is often left to minority student groups on campus, underfunded departments, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to educational attainment and equity. Let me put into the local context – where are the robust city/district-wide college fairs, regular presentations from admissions personnel, and widespread college exposure at the K-12 level in Stockton?

When I was applying for college as a senior in high school in 2008, I remember being dissuaded from marking my race on the UC application. As a 17-year-old kid, I didn’t think much of it and what it implied. I had the grades, the SAT score (y’all are so lucky to not have the SAT anymore*), the extracurricular activities, and a pretty awesome set of personal statements so I just knew I was going to get in (and I did). As a 32-year-old, I recognize that this “advice” was just a drop in the bucket of a larger issue – the color blind or race neutral approach to admission. I attended 1 college fair my entire high school career (lack of access), I was not able to take the college advising class because it was only for the top 30 seniors – I was #31. It also conflicted with a course I was taking at Sacramento City College which I had to fight to have access to. My counselor told me I wasn’t allowed, and when I corrected her, she strongly advised against it because “I wasn’t ready for that level of work”. She said this despite my carrying a rigorous course load of every AP course offered at my high school. She was making assumptions about what I was capable of that were rooted in race and this is the fundamental problem with what is happening. Given the systems we are socialized in, we all carry biases that shape our worldview. Many of us don’t have the luxury of being race neutral because biases alter the future we can have. This systemic color-blind or race neutral approach to college access and admissions is not equitable and that can be seen in the disparities of opportunities at the high school level and the lack of diversity on PWI college campuses. It is sad to say but that was the only bit of college advising I received due to my high school being very underresourced and my story is just one of many that I know students have across our country. Major shout out to my high school cheerleading coach and AP Government teacher for encouraging me to apply to a UC! That support lead me to more access, opportunities, and choice.

At the college I graduated from, African American students make up about 4% of the total student population, (and don’t get me started on faculty) and on a college campus of 10’s thousands, it can be really awkward being 1 of a few that look like you. It can be very uncomfortable not feeling like you have a safe place to just be yourself. It can be very disheartening when your intellect is discounted or dismissed and the reason is heavily laced with microaggressions. I’ll never forget once at the bus stop I was telling a white “friend” about the books on my Amazon wishlist and she looked me up and down and said, “Wow Tiffany, I didn’t realize you were so learned” like we weren’t both students at the same prestigious university. Her comment hurt because it was grown from the assumption that I did not earn nor deserve my spot at our college campus. Her comment was steeped in beliefs that are the product of decisions like these ones– systems that devoid people of the opportunity to understand the rich and powerful experiences (and brilliance) of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)

SCOTUS’ decision, and similar legislation requiring colleges and universities to discount race and ethnicity, is telling BIPOC students that these places are not for us. As a mom that’s a problem because my children are taught they belong in every room and place they find themselves in. As a college access professional that’s a problem because I advise students to show up 100% authentically as themselves. And while I have no doubt that they will (Stockton stand up!) navigate a place and space that may not view the richness of their cultural identity. Coming from such a diverse city and potentially while moving into a new environment, their classes, new peer dynamics, a new sense of identity/freedom, and set of rules will be a huge shock to their system and psyche. We should get to celebrate who we are, where we come from, our traditions, and that is inextricably linked to our identities. This erasure speaks volumes because it sends a message that to be successful we have to silence the things that make us who we are. Education should be a tool for continued self-discovery and learning, not a lesson in mental gymnastics or code-switching.

Stockton, just like California, is rich in many things– diversity, culture, food, and great people with great hearts. Those are some of the reasons why I love working here, but there is a dark underbelly that is a microcosm of systemic failures and inequities. Decisions have been made over time rooted in the interests of maintaining and channeling power. We can see the impact of that in our city boundaries, our school district boundaries, and even where the freeways are that many of us drive on regularly. These failures especially in the area of education are why I do what I do. It’s why Stockton Scholars exist. We know that brilliance is universal but opportunities are not. We see and celebrate the whole student. Some of my most memorable moments last year were helping students on their college applications and PIQs* and seeing the relief in their eyes when I told them they, their hard work, and their experiences were enough, and if the university can’t see that, then that’s not the university for them. Our youth are too bold and fearless to try and fit into a mold that was never meant to fit them and as a leader in educational equity, it is my job and privilege to let them know that they don’t need to. It is also my job to work to change the system so our kids don’t have to go into spaces that weren’t designed for them.

To my community and the students we serve–I know things look bad, and understandably you might be a little worried because it seems like no matter what the rules are they are constantly changing. It seems as if the adults in charge are determined to make authentically moving in the world, living, and thriving an exclusive experience reserved for the few. Do not let antiquated thinking, mediocrity, or fear of your brilliance shape how you keep hope in your heart. Your beautiful mind, heart, soul, and the desire to live your life out loud and 100% AUTHENTICALLY YOU will ground you in chasing everything you deserve and are owed. Especially an education. You have my word and my promise that our team at Stockton Scholars will be there to see you through it. We will be there as you make your way towards a meaningful and impactful life. In California and in Stockton this isn’t new to us– when barriers go up and the rules change we adapt accordingly. This is an opportunity for us to come together and support each other, our students, and our broader community.

Peace!

Tiffany aka Ms. PAC Man

For more information on SCOTUS’ decision and Affirmative Action please see the following links: www.supremecourt.gov / www.whitehouse.gov / www.naacp.org / www.ed.gov / www.leadership.ucdavis.edu / www.news.berkeley.edu

*If applying to a UC or CSU campus
*With the exception of UC Merced which was established in 2005