A fair perspective on Affirmative Action | Opinion

The last few weeks have been filled with various dialogue and opinions about deeply impactful issues in our nation. The Supreme Court decision around academic access, equity and fair process is happening.

Many of you are aware that the same court made a decision that will have lasting impact for black students who’ve always deserved the same opportunity to compete. Affirmative Action as we knew it wasn’t a free turn at pitch and toss, but a necessary academic chance that could and should have been used as a way of evening the playing field for students of color to gain access into institutions of higher education. It’s sad, but true that we exist in a country that houses firm and clear data that speaks to the delta that exists when discussing access and opportunity for black minorities who should deservingly be given “a chance” to succeed within a system that was created with the idea of one kind in mind.

If we explore the historical account of Affirmative Action and why it was necessary in the United States, you’ll quickly discover how racism has impacted all institutions and surely higher education for the sake of argument. We must be clear, the privilege this country has bestowed upon white persons and on the backs of enslaved black persons created a divide that’s entrenched in hatred, abuse, manipulation and inhumanity. The progenitors of Predominately White Institutions (PWI) created a divide which necessitated the birth of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) no less than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

It wasn’t just the inception of those white institutions, but the unspoken and clear expectations for like people of whiteness to attend without any cultural interruption, diversity or competing perspective during those years of false liberation and the evil mastery of transported free Africans who were forced into enslavement. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t recall reading any “credible literature” offering an accurate historical account of slavery as an era of involuntary domestic servitude. With that, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865 is the historical marker and documented history that reveals the truth and reason for many of the discussions, actions and movements around equity today.

In large, the public outcry is more visible and clearer for the world to observe and learn from.

Today, I come to the table as a husband, father, Pastor and community advocate for truth and “it” still demands a place among us. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared with brilliance of thought when he said, “A just society should provide equal opportunities for all its residents, irrespective of race or gender.” These words bring the “intended agenda” of the civil rights movement into focus. Our black civil rights leaders were fighting solely for the rights of black people in a time where equality was scarcer than it is now. Though we’ve marched down the road, we must be intentional about diagnosing the issues within our neighborhoods, schools, etc.

The civil rights movement has been used, abused, manipulated to the benefit of everyone except the persons who truly stand in need of liberation. As we approach the academic challenges around graduation rate, personnel diversity, national assessments of progress and so much more, there is a way forward, but it’s challenged. It requires honesty, clarity, introspection and ongoing dialogue that champions the cause for equitable education. If we don’t become diligent in how we utilize resources to shape outcomes, we run the risk of imploding.

We have the tools to answer the problems that confront us. We have the solutions to ills and issues that could destroy us. We have the truth that can neutralize the lies that many have learned to appropriate as “their truth”, but it starts with God’s truth. The scripture is clear, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death. “ (Prov. 14:12)

We are watching death of our nation and democracy if we continue stand for His righteous truth.

The Rev. David L. Reaves is the senior pastor at New Life Baptist Church in Lacey.

This story was originally published August 13, 2023 at 5:00 AM.