The Defend Affirmative Action Party

Despite Central Student Government elections being over, I found one party whose message has lasting implications. The Defend Affirmative Action Party (otherwise known as DAAP) seeks to restore affirmative action at the University of Michigan as well as promoting diversity and equality at the university as a whole. The party is attempting to mobilize a student movement against the "years of broken promises and the orgy of privatization" that has set Michigan back in the fight for equality.

What The Party Is Fighting Against

According to the DAAP, The University of Michigan is growing to rely more heavily on funding from private corporations, thereby sacrificing Michigan's "intellectual independence and educational priorities" for donations that represent the values, priorities, and ideologies of investors. As a result of the university's increasing privatization, the student body is becoming increasingly rich and white while representation of minorities and poor families is decreasing. This decrease in diversity is creating a hostile environment for the underrepresented individuals that the university claims to welcome.

As an example of the university trying to mend diversity issues in the past, in 1970 the administration capitulated to demands called by the Black Action Movement to increase black enrollment to 10% within two years. The University of Michigan's agreement to this demand proved to be a recognition of the right for members of all demographic sectors to benefit from higher education at the institution.  However, the university has since seemed to abandon their mission of diversification; according to the article Black Enrollment Falls as the University of Michigan Rejects Affirmative Action, a 2006 ballot initiative blocking race-based admissions only 3 years after they were allowed by the court is now being taken to the Supreme Court with a strong likelihood that the ballot measure will be upheld (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-24/black-enrollment-falls-as-michigan-rejects-affirmative-action.html).

The DAAP denounces the years of broken promises and claims of support for racial and economic diversification from authorities at the university. In spite of the falling numbers of the minority demographic sectors, officials have been congratulating themselves for their "progress" (quoting Mary Sue Coleman: "I am proud...", "I am so proud..."). The DAAP is striking back, saying that an administration that is proud of such a shameful record declares itself "unwilling and incapable of reversing the forty years of broken promises".

DAAP's Program

The Defend Affirmative Action Party outlined their solutions to tackle diversity and equal-quality education at the University of Michigan:

• Mobilize students to call on the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the 6th Circuit Court decision to overturn Proposal 2 (Schuette v. BAMN)
• Proposal 2 was the 2006 ballot proposal that banned the use of race-based affirmative action in Michigan
• The DAAP cites the 10% Plan adopted by the University of Texas (see our post about the 10% Plan here) as support for the abolition of Proposal 2; after instilling the 10% Plan, UT Austin saw significant increases in the number of black, Latino, Native American, and poor white students admitted. Students admitted under the 10% Plan perform as well or better than those admitted based on their SAT scores, showing that an open admissions policy benefits the university and allows access to higher education for the underprivileged and underrepresented
• Double black, Latina/o, and Native American student enrollment at the University of Michigan for 2014 - 2015. Increase minority student enrollment to reflect Michigan's population
• Eliminate the SAT, ACT, and other biased and discriminatory standardized tests in the UM admissions processes and adopt a more holistic approach in order to create equal opportunity and greater access to the university for minority, women, poor, and middle-class students of all races
• Create a University of Michigan and statewide DREAM Act - full access to all public, private, and U of M scholarships and financial aid for undocumented students
• The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) would guarantee temporary 6-year residency and qualify certain immigrants for permanent residency following completion of at least 2 years at an institution of higher education
• Passage of the act would give undocumented students incentive to apply to the university and, if adopted at the university level, "open the door" for immigrant students by creating opportunities for financial aid
• End Department of Public Safety (DPS) & Michigan Union discriminatory policies against social events in the Union - specifically those sponsored by black and Latina/o student groups
• Build the international struggle against racism and for equality. Support the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, oppose the Israeli military's invasion and atrocities, and stand with the student movement that is growing on this campus and nationally for justice for Palestine
• although not directly relevant to affirmative action, support for Palestinian affairs would show the university's growing support of a richly diverse campus

These objectives, among others not mentioned, make up the Defend Affirmative Action Party's goals to eradicate the University of Michigan's "orgy of privatization" that has shut out affirmative action in favor of the ideologies of the investors that foot the bill of the university. The party hopes to redeem the university after years of ignorance towards minorities and students who, despite representing less and less of the student body's population, show a growing need for higher education.

At the wake of central student government elections, it'll be interesting to see whether or not the DAAP's mission has broken ground at the university. Will students mobilize to salvage affirmative action? Will the university take action to promote affirmative action in response to student pressure, as they did over 40 years ago? In any case, the suggestions outlined by the DAAP remain intriguing propositions in response to the controversy surrounding affirmative action and may eventually find proper footing in amending university admissions.