It’s interesting how reality can play out in a way a writer could never script. As I have stated her, I consider Ward Connerly to be the worst kind of sellout there is. His anti-affirmative action activities have had a devastating effect on the higher educational opportunities of a lot of black students. However, in at least one instance, it’s also had a negative effect on education access for white students, as well.

In 1996, Ward Connerly, as a member of the University of California Regents Board, successfully pushed through a ballot initiative (Proposition 209) to end the consideration of race in higher education. As a result, black enrollment in the University of California’s system plummeted. However, it appears another unintended effect occured, also — white enrollment took a big hit. Whites made up 40 percent of freshman admission before Prop. 209. Today, they make up 32 percent. What happened? White enrollment dropped because there was a group of students against which they could not compete — Asians. When race was no longer considered, there were no longer “numerical admissions goals” for whites, either. This gave Asian students unrestricted access to the UC educational experience and, as a result, their numbers grew from 36 percent, in 1996, to their current enrollment of 42%. During that same time, Latino student enrollment rose by 3%, as well.

So, Connerly, in his attempt to right “injustices” against whites, instead cost them, at least in this case. In a way, it is kind of a sweet irony. But, in another way, it is a shameful indictment on the argument against affirmative action. Perhaps, to make sure that more people of different groups get access to opportunity, we really do need it. Because, it seems, that white students in UC’s system are seeing their numbers shrink without it, as well.

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