New York, NY, May 15, 2020 — The National Association of Scholars (NAS) urges all Californian citizens and lawmakers to oppose Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA-5), which would reintroduce discriminatory race and sex preferences to California by overturning Proposition 209.
Proposition 209 forbade California’s state government from discriminating on the basis of group identity. NAS endorses the principle of equal opportunity among American citizens embodied by Proposition 209 in all areas of American life, but we focus institutionally on higher education. We particularly applaud Proposition 209 not only for preventing California from discriminating in admissions and employment in its public universities but also for positive effects such as increased graduation rates among underrepresented ethnic minorities. In California’s higher education system, as throughout California, Proposition 209 gives constitutional protection to America’s highest civic ideals as it forwards the interests of all Californians.
ACA-5, by repealing Proposition 209, would give California’s state government license to discriminate. California would forfeit its good name, to promote a system of race and sex preferences that benefits no one, not even its supposed beneficiaries. No Californian of conscience or sense should support ACA-5.
Every citizen of California should contact their state lawmaker at once, to oppose the passage of ACA-5.
Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash
