While reading Kieu-Linh Caroline Valverde’s “Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia”, I was intrigued by the discoveries she made throughout her haunting and harrowing battle for tenure. One concept that I found particularly interesting was Valverde’s analysis of affirmative action and how it results in, “... the assumption that people of color were inferior intellectually but allowed to roam the halls of the ivory tower only through forced government edicts.” (Valverde 2013) Unfortunately, the negative connotation associated with affirmative action creates a double edged sword, where the assistance provided to students with a disadvantaged upbringing are belittled and looked down upon. From one perspective, affirmative action can be considered a positive force that allows students coming from more challenging living situations (primarily minority ethnicities and low income households) a better chance of competing with other students. However, this assistance can be considered a free “handicap”, creating dissent within communities that are not offered the same services. For example, the Trump Administration began preparing lawsuits in August 2017, targeting Universities with affirmative action programs. (Savage 2017) This is an example of the dissent surrounding programs intended to help minority groups emerge from their predetermined socioeconomic classes. Unfortunately, these type of services may be detrimental to people of color by undermining their accomplishments and marginalizing their presence in academia.
Question: Is it better to provide assistive services to people of color, or would it be more beneficial for them to avoid the negative stigmas associated with programs such as affirmative action?
References
Valverde, K., (2013). "Fight the Tower": A Call to Action for Women in Academia, 12(2), 367-419. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
Savage, C. (2017, August 1). Justice Dept. to Take On Affirmative Action in College Admissions. Https://www.nytimes.com. Retrieved October 1, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/us/politics/trump-affirmative-action-universities.html?mcubz=0
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