Middlebury and the 'M' Word

Author: Crystal Belle

Once again the word minority has been juxtaposed with the word "unqualified" on the Middlebury campus. As a senior here and most importantly, as a black woman, I sometimes wonder how my fellow academic peers perceive me, or every other minority for that matter. Why are we such an enigma? Yes, our skin tones vary from yellow to cocoa brown, however, that does not hinder the number of brain cells we possess. While listening to the arguments of some conservatives, I am often appalled at the incorrect statements and somewhat condescending tone. It seems to be the case that many believe that when seeking diversity, colleges and universities discriminate against non-minorities by prohibiting them from competing fairly against minorities.

Many even go as far as saying that affirmative action violates the Equal Protection Clause. Much to the dismay of many, affirmative action is not a method in which minorities who are "unqualified" are chosen. Instead, the policy takes into account those minorities who are in fact outstanding, those whose overall intellect as well as leadership qualities outweigh the typical 1600-SAT-score applicant. No, this does not imply that we don't perform well on the SAT as the very biased statistics prove. It does, however, prove that there are thousands of minorities who are succeeding at prestigious institutions like Middlebury. Although I was assured that most campus conservatives are confident that at Middlebury, students are admitted only if the admissions office believes they can succeed here, their overall attitudes counter that notion.

I think many conservatives fail to understand the significance of the Equal Protection Clause. Yes, the clause states that one cannot be discriminated against because of race. However, the overall basis of the law is to provide "equal application" of the laws. Sadly, but true, the people in the United States of America who benefit most from our "equal" laws are upper-middle-class white males. Perhaps if this were not the case, we wouldn't need policies like affirmative action. The same people, who denied basic civil rights to human beings dating back to the slave trade, are the same individuals who created our pre-dated laws. Therefore one can validly infer that the level of "equality" within our constitution is in fact questionable.

The language often used to address affirmative action is quite disturbing. The word minority is loosely used with phrases like: It may be in the best interest of colleges to select minorities for the sake of diversity. First of all there isn't a student here who is accepted for the sake of anything besides their overall profound intellect.

Secondly, contrary to the standard definition of minority, which alludes to inferiority, it is because of minorities that America is such a "melting pot." Even more so, it is because of minorities that Middlebury College is starting to become such a tasteful cosmopolis. What do you do for fun? You go to a Riddim dance club workshop. When do you eat delicious meals? When Pan Carribiean Students Organization or Alianza Latinoamericana y Caribena has a weekend dinner. When do you talk about the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on Black America? During an African American Alliance meeting.

Neither Middlebury nor the entire world would be the same without the influence of minority thought and action. Yet sill, it is hard to believe that we succeed based on our mind. Why should any minority have to wonder if a student or professor is judging them because of the pigment in their skin? It is the 21st century and ignorance continues to be blissful for many. How else could one assume that admission standards are "lowered" for people of color?!

What is even more interesting to me is when some even refer to the views of Clarence Thomas, the only African-American in the Supreme Court, and how he believes that minority preference "unfairly marks those blacks who would succeed without discrimination (affirmative action)." First of all, it is because of affirmative action that Clarence Thomas is a Supreme Court Justice. That doesn't mean that he lacks intellectual greatness. It does, however, mean that thanks to affirmative action, Blacks who would otherwise be overlooked for such a prominent position are actually taken into consideration. There are many brilliant minorities who are discriminated against simply because of their skin color, thus the need for affirmative action. Furthermore, I think that those who oppose affirmative action need to assess the true definition of the policy as opposed to assuming what one may think the definition is. These assumptions only lead to the continuous degradation of us "overqualified" minorities.