Linda Chavez, Judy Winston Debate Affirmative Action at Joint Center Forum; Audio Available On-Line

3/19/2003

From: Liselle Yorke of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 202-789-6366; email: lyorke@jointcenter.org

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Although they both agreed that the public school "percent plans" being used to support minority college enrollment in California, Florida, and Texas are reincarnations of affirmative action, Linda Chavez and Judy Winston firmly maintained opposing views on both the worthiness and the legality of the University of Michigan's admissions policies, about to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Speaking at a March 17 Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies forum, "From Brown to Michigan: Race and Education in America," Winston, former executive director of President Clinton's Initiative on Race, pointed out that the university's policies follow the tenets laid out by Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in the landmark Bakke case, in which the majority agreed that ensuring campus diversity is a legitimate government interest. Chavez, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, countered that the plans for admitting undergraduates and law students unfairly penalize more highly qualified white applicants. Prior to their debate, Roderick Harrison, director of the Joint Center's DataBank, outlined the demographic trends, which show that high school populations, after several decades of increasing integration, are becoming more racially segregated.

The audio recording of their presentations are available on the Joint Center's website: http://www.jointcenter.org. The audiocast also includes remarks by Eddie N. Williams, president of the Joint Center, and Michael R. Wenger, program director of the Joint Center's NABRE (Network of Alliances Bridging Race and Ethnicity) program, who moderated.

This audio is formatted for RealAudio and Windows Media Player and is of broadcast quality. It will be available on the Joint Center's site for 30 days and may be used without restriction.

The Joint Center gratefully acknowledged the support of the Mark and Carol Hyman fund in making this Public Policy Forum possible.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, conducts research and analyses on public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other minorities, promotes their involvement in the governance process, and operates programs that create coalitions within the minority, business, and other diverse communities. For more information, visit http://www.jointcenter.org.