Students Call on Nation to 'Take Affirmative Action'
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 10/29/2003
On Thursday, October 30, students will join representatives from student and civil rights organizations at a press conference in Washington, D.C., to announce "National Take Affirmative Action Day," a day in which students will hold a range of activities nationwide to show their commitment to affirmative action as one tool to increase diversity in higher education. At the press conference, local students will be sharing their personal stories about why affirmative action is important to them.Some student activities taking place across the country to support critical affirmative action initiatives include demonstrations, rallies, town hall forums, and phone banks.
Earlier this year, in a closely watched decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the University of Michigan Law School's affirmative action program, holding that student body diversity is a compelling state interest that can justify considering race as a factor in university admissions. Building on the Supreme Court decision, students are demanding their college administrators and public officials take steps to improve and expand affirmative action programs.
For more information, contact Anjali Thakur at 202-263-2850.
