Berkeley student senators voted Sunday to condemn discriminatory behavior on campus – even if done in satire – in response to a Republican student group 's plans for an "Increase Diversity Bake Sale," with pastries labeled according to race and gender. The 19-0 vote, with one absence, came during a special meeting of the Associated Students of the University of California, as the debate over affirmative action reignited in Berkeley. "Sure, it came off as discrimination," said Francisco Loayza IV, the treasurer of the Republican group, at Sunday 's meeting. "People are being judged by their skin color (in affirmative action policies). I don 't want to be judged because I ' m brown. Look past the prices, and see what we 're trying to do." But another student, Devonte Jackson, said the bake sale was inappropriate and hurtful, "attacking underrepresented communities by reducing their communities to a cheaply priced good." The bake sale – which the Berkeley College Republicans still plan to hold Tuesday – is an effort to denounce a bill now on Gov. Jerry Brown 's desk that would allow the University of California and California State University to consider race, ethnicity and gender in student admissions. The bake sale has students quarrelling not only about race-based college admissions but about the nature of political commentary – what is fair and what is offensive, and who gets to decide. The Republican group timed the sale for Tuesday to counter an event by the student government on the same day that they say is racist in its own right. That event, sponsored by the Associated Students, will be a call-in booth on campus inviting support for SB185, … Currently, Proposition 209, which was approved by California voters in 1996, prevents public schools and employers from considering applicants 'race, ethnicity and gender. (Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com …
Recent Comments
Related Posts
