Activists on both sides of the affirmative action debate, including former University of California Regent Ward Connerly, are set to convene on campus Tuesday for a public discussion of the issue.
Radio station KPCC plans to broadcast the debate, which is open to the public and will include questions from audience members.
Connerly is scheduled to be joined by Joe Hicks, vice president of Community Advocates; Winston Doby, former UCLA vice chancellor of student affairs; and Eva Paterson, president of the Equal Justice Society.
Tina Park, external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council, helped organize the event, and said she believes it will be a good opportunity for students to learn more about the pros and cons of affirmative action.
“I hope they’ll get some of their questions answered,” she said. “This composition of people is really unique.”
Proposition 209, passed in 1996, outlawed affirmative action at California’s public institutions, including the UC, and Connerly has been a vocal proponent of the law.
“When you give somebody extra points (on a college application) … you’re giving them a preference, you’re discriminating against other people,” Connerly said in 2005. “It’s condescending.”
Connerly’s efforts against affirmative action began before the passage of Proposition 209.
He also spearheaded the campaign to pass Regents Standing Policies 1 and 2, which disallowed affirmative action within the UC before the statewide law was passed. SP 1 and 2 were later repealed, though only after Proposition 209 had banned affirmative action statewide.
Connerly has also pushed for an end to affirmative action at other public universities, including schools in Michigan.
He drew a great deal of criticism during his time at the university, from national leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson as well as students, for his views on affirmative action, and became one of the most controversial figures in the UC.
Park said the panelists represent different views of affirmative action and its history. Hicks used to be in favor of the practice, but has since switched positions and now argues against it.
Doby is expected to give an administrator’s viewpoint on the history of affirmative action, and Paterson is in favor of affirmative action.
She said she expects the panelists to address topics including the history of Proposition 209 and the pros and cons of affirmative action today during the debate, which will be moderated by KPCC radio host Patt Morrison.
But Park also emphasized student participation in the broadcast.
“The design is to have a lot of audience participation,” she said. “I really want our panelists to be challenged by our students. It’ll be important for the public to hear students’ perspectives on these issues.”
She added that due to space constraints, about 100 students will be able to attend.
Greg Cendana, USAC internal vice president, said he plans to attend the discussion to broaden his own knowledge of the debate on affirmative action.
“It will be a good way to hear from key speakers on both sides,” he said. “Hopefully (students) will get a sense of the different, stronger arguments on both sides.”
Cendana also said he believes the discussion could offer a “good opportunity” for students to gain a better understanding of the current admissions situation at UCLA.
Cendana said he would like to ask Connerly how he plans to proceed with his anti-affirmative action efforts.