Opponents of the Racial Privacy Initiative are holding an
information session Wednesday night to rally support against the
measure, which calls for the ban of collecting most race-based data
by the state.
Organized by the Affirmative Action Coalition and the Academic
Affairs Commission of the Undergraduate Students Association
Council, the forum will provide reasons for students not to vote
for the initiative when it shows up on the ballot in the March 2004
primary elections.
The session is intended to educate the campus about the negative
effects of the RPI, said USAC Academic Affairs Commissioner Chris
Diaz.
If approved by voters, the initiative would prohibit the state
from gathering any form of race related data ““ including
asking students’ ethnicities on the University of California
admission application.
The initiative was introduced by UC Regent Ward Connerly, who
has said the categorization of citizens based on skin color and
physical traits is offensive and unnecessary.
Connerly also led the campaign for SP-1 and -2, and Proposition
209 ““ efforts to end affirmative action and create what he
calls a “colorblind” UC and state.
But some argue the implementation of the RPI would result in
decreased state accountability.
“It would prevent determining which discriminatory
measures are being practiced by the state,” he said.
The meeting Wednesday will also feature a guest speaker, Malek
Moazzam-Doulat, who is a representative of the Coalition for an
Informed California. Moazzam-Doulat will break down the text and
explain the measure’s provisions to the meeting-goers.
Discussion among those present will then break into small
groups.
Initiative opponents hope to organize students and inform them
of RPI’s detrimental effects, Diaz said.
Leaders on some UC campuses have already expressed their
concerns about the measure.
UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale voiced his disapproval of the
initiative late October this year. He said the initiative could
curb the university’s outreach efforts, which prepare
underrepresented students for college.
In August, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl said the RPI
would hinder UC efforts to increase diversity on campus.
The initiative was originally slated for a vote in the November
2002 elections. However, the verification required for 670,816
petition signatures took longer than the June deadline needed to
get on the November ballot.
The meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
in Math Sciences 5200.