BEYOND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION – BUILDING A ROBUST PIPELINE OF TALENTED STUDENTS!
Disclaimer: Good Day, Readers. WealthBuildingPowers blog is a financial literacy/competency blog and does not provide specific investment recommendations.
From Affirmative Action to Academic Excellence: Reimagining the Path to Success
While liberals and conservatives debate the recent Supreme Court {Court} Affirmative Action decision, both groups ignore an essential failure. Only one and a half {1.5} percent of the top scores in college admittance exams are African American. Elite universities are recruiting from this small percentage. African Americans are ~13 percent of the population.
For 45 years, universities have failed to meet the objective of affirmative action: “To create a level playing field where all Americans have an equal chance based on merit and work effort to attend the University of their choice. It is past time to replace Affirmative Action with more effective policies.
SOLUTIONS BASED ON ROOT CAUSES
Eliminate the focus on acceptance rates by race and instead develop and implement effective solutions to encourage and teach minority kids K-12 good study techniques and habits, filling the K-12 university pipeline with diverse students who can be accepted into colleges of their choice, including our most elite schools. Good study habits are NOT intuitive.
BLACK GRADUATES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND METHEMATICS {STEM} ARE DECLINING {AT THE WORSE POSSIBLE TIME!}
“Black people hold 7 percent of jobs in STEM areas requiring bachelor’s degrees. That’s about half their proportion of the population. We need to move from talking about the issue of Blacks in STEM and make substantial changes; recent figures released in April by the Pew Research Center show that in 2018 Black students earned 7 percent of STEM bachelor’s degrees.
Total Black undergraduate enrollment at universities and colleges is down by more than 7 percent this semester from where it was last spring, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. As demand increases, this decline in prospective Black scientists, engineers, and mathematicians occurs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in STEM fields is projected to grow twice as fast in the next decade as for all occupations. STEM jobs offer higher salaries and benefits.
According to research conducted at the University of Texas at Austin and Florida International University, black, white, and Hispanic students declare STEM majors at roughly the same rates — 18 percent, 19 percent, and 20 percent, respectively. But the numbers diverge when it comes to degree completion. Fifty-eight percent of white students earn a STEM degree, compared with 43 percent Hispanic and 34 percent ent Black students. Black and Hispanic students tend to switch majors or leave college in higher numbers, according to the same study. “we are not only hurting the competitiveness of our great country on the world stage, but we collectively are losing out on great discoveries, new insights and new technology that Blacks in STEM could provide.”
AI and Robotics will eliminate many of today’s jobs in the coming years. STEM competencies are critical for higher-paying jobs and necessary to close the racial pay gaps.
HOURS SPENT STUDYING CORRELATE WITH GPA, STANDARDIZED & COLLEGE ADMITTANCE TEST SCORES & ACCEPTANCE RATES
One root cause of minorities scoring lower in college admittance exams is the time different racial groups spend studying. A recent study showed that students of:
- Asian descent spent ~134 minutes/day studying.
- White descent spent ~56 minutes/day;
- Hispanic descent spent ~50 minutes/per day
- Black descent spent ~37 minutes/day.
These study times correlate with poor and minority students’ performance on college entrance exams and failure to enroll in high school honors or STEM classes.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/07311214221101422
SUMMARY OF PAST COURT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION RULINGS
- Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978): In this landmark case, the Court held that race could be considered as one factor among many in college admissions but ruled against the use of racial quotas. The Court’s decision allowed for affirmative action policies in higher education but limited their implementation. It had a significant impact on affirmative action practices in college admissions and set the precedent for future cases.
- Grutter v. Bollinger (2003): The Court upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School. The Court ruled that diversity was a compelling state interest in higher education and allowed the use of race as a factor in admissions decisions. However, the Court also emphasized the importance of individualized consideration and narrowly tailored programs.
- Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (2013, 2016): These cases involved a challenge to the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Texas at Austin. In 2013, the S Court ruled that the policy was subject to strict scrutiny but did not make a definitive ruling on its constitutionality. In 2016, the Court upheld the policy, emphasizing the deference given to universities in achieving diversity.
- STUDENTS FOR FAIR ADMISSIONS, INC. v. PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE Decided June 29, 2023,* Harvard and UNC employ a highly selective admissions process to make their decisions. Admission to each school can depend on a student’s grades, recommendation letters, or extracurricular involvement. It can also depend on their race. The question presented is whether the admissions systems used by Harvard College and UNC are lawful under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action programs at the University of North Carolina and Harvard ending the systematic consideration of race in the admissions process, ruling both programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and are therefore unlawful.
AFTER 45 YEARS, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS HAVE FAILED TO MEET THE OBJECTIVE OF A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
UNIVERSITY OF CA SYSTEM SPENT > $500 MILLION ON OUTREACH AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WITH ZERO IMPACT TO ACHIEVING THEIR DIVERSITY GOALS!
A quarter-century after California banned race-based admissions at public universities, school officials say they haven’t been able to meet their diversity and equity goals — despite more than a half billion dollars on outreach and alternative admissions standards.
California public universities should have invested that half a billion dollars into filling the K-12 pipelines with students equipped with the work ethic to study competitively. We must fill the same pipeline as Asian Americans by teaching minority children and parents how to study and the importance of studying. Asian American earn their way into our elite schools based on academic success!
YOU WANT TO ATTEND MIT, HARVARD, YALE, ETC. – STUDY YOUR ASS OFF!
Our kids must spend the necessary hours studying to build their knowledge and competencies. This requires a straightforward ingredient- WORK. Practical study skills are essential for academic success. Teaching our kids how to study effectively improves their comprehension, retention, and application of knowledge. Strong study habits early on can contribute to better grades, increased confidence, and a sense of achievement. As you can see from the above table: “Shares of Students Admitted to Harvard by Race,” Asian Americans who study more significantly dominate acceptance into our top universities.
LET’S END THE STIGMA OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Following this recent court decision, several articles falsely alleged Justice Thomas was a beneficiary of Affirmative Action and wrong to vote to end affirmative action. This incorrect conclusion was reached because he is black and conservative. “ranked near the top of my class at Immaculate Conception, so Holy Cross had quickly accepted my application,” Clarence Thomas writes. “The only problem was money, but the director of financial aid told me that something could be worked out.” Nor is there any evidence that Justice Thomas was admitted to Yale Law School. He graduated from Holy Cross ninth in his class (of more than 500 students). According to the New York Times, eight Holy Cross graduates were admitted to Yale Law between 1968 and 1978, the decade that included Justice Thomas’s law school career. Why assume that he got in only because of his race? Why question the justice’s credentials but not Bill Clinton’s or Hillary Rodham’s, two of his fellow Yale Law students? The reason is affirmative action, which has made people suspicious of black academic and professional success. Justice Thomas notes that racial double standards “taint” accomplishment. Thus, when blacks and Hispanics “take positions in the highest places of government, industry or academia, it is an open question . . . whether their skin color played a part in their advancement.” {Jason Reiley, WSJ}
As an African American, I was sometimes asked if I was awarded a job because of my color. The questioners dismiss four university degrees, two professional certifications, and a work ethic that produces results. My brother and I heeded our parent’s voices our entire careers “You must show up early, work harder and longer hours and then double down because of your skin color.”
Let’s judge everyone by the same fair standards and end this stigma.
CONCLUSION – BEYOND QUOTAS: STRENGTHENING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TO EMPOWER EVERY STUDENT
Does any media or politician speak to the middle of America? I recall when President Obama gave what may be his most famous speech and said, “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there is the United States of America.” Do you believe those words today?
We must believe “that children are our future.”
Finally, it is impossible to “help” a certain racial group without causing harm to members of other racial groups. “It should be obvious that every racial classification helps, in a narrow sense, some races and hurts others.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf
“You cannot be equal to and less than at the same time; pick one.” Bill Powers
CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE!
Greatest Love of All Lyrics
I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfill my needs
A lonely place to be
And so I learned to depend on me
I decided long ago
Never to walk in anyone’s shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I’ll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can’t take away my dignity
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all
Songwriters: Linda Creed / Michael Masser
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FORGET WHITE RECKONING TO ADDRESS RACIAL INEQUALITY – WE NEED GOOD ECONOMIC POLICY!
DAD RAISED ME TO BE A MAN, NOT A BLACK MAN!
LET ME GET THIS RIGHT – BROWN PEOPLE ARE TOO STUPID TO BE PROFICIENT AT MATH, READING, AND WRITING.
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THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING YOUR DERRIERE OFF!
A GREAT WORK ETHIC AND TOUGH MENTOR MOVED NIMI RAMA FROM A MCDONALD’S CREW MEMBER TO DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS! I.T.’S CALLED HARD WORK, BABY!
PEOPLE USING 4TH GRADE STRATEGY, {HINT- WARREN BUFFETT, ELON MUSK, ETC.} ARE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME WEALTHY!
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CRITICAL THINKING – WHAT LEVEL OF THINKING ARE YOU? CRITICAL THINKING PART 4
THINKING IS DRIVEN BY QUESTIONS, NOT ANSWERS – PART 5 CRITICAL THINKING SERIES: WHAT QUESTIONS DO THE BEST CRITICAL THINKERS ASK?
WHAT {DO YOU, AS A} CRITICAL THINKER, DO TO LEARN? – PART 6A – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
WHAT DO YOU AS A CRITICAL THINKER DO TO LEARN – PART 6B – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
WHAT HABITS DO CRITICAL THINKERS USE WHEN READING AND WRITING? PART 7A – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
PART 7B: SUBSTANTIVE WRITING: WHAT HABITS DO CRITICAL THINKERS USE WHEN READING AND WRITING? – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A FAIR-MINDED CRITICAL THINKER? – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES – PART 8
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DEAL WITH YOUR IRRATIONAL MIND? – CRITICAL THINKING SERIES – PART NINE (9)
WHAT STAGE ARE YOU IN CRITICAL THINKING DEVELOPMENT? – FINAL CRITICAL THINKING SERIES – PART 10
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ABOUT ME
I am a proud nerd (as my beautiful wife and daughter have told me) investment and finance blogger with an N.C. State, Chemical Engineering, University Rutgers, MBA and Harvard University, Advanced Management education.
I left a corporate career because I desired to make a difference as a speaker and writer. I was blessed to be coached and mentored by strong women and men in my family and professional life. It is my time to serve and give back.
DISCLAIMER
I started my first business at ~13 years of age (a small but brilliantly created plant nursery). I am a successful investor in stocks, options, real estate and am happy to share my finance and investment lessons. I am NOT a licensed financial advisor. Please do not construe my suggestions on this blog as recommendations for your situation. As an investor, you must establish your risk/loss tolerance. Investment in any asset involves risk, including complete loss.
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