UC Berkeley 2004-05 class: no Blacks in engineering school

[fortyfeetunder]

http://www.seattlemedium.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=56295&sID=34

Race Still Matters In Engineering
by Carl Mack
Executive Director of the National Society of Black Engineers
Originally posted 4/20/2005

"On behalf of the National Society of Black Engineers, (NSBE) the largest student-managed organization in the world, with a membership of 15,000 African-American engineering students and technical professionals, I feel compelled to speak out against the shocking revelation that of the approximate 800 students who entered the 2004-2005 class of the engineering school at University of California- Berkeley, not one was an African-American.

The troubling news also revealed that out of a total class of 3,600 students entering the state’s flagship university, only 25 Black males, who were not athletes, were admitted last fall.

While I applaud the courage and vision of Berkeley Chancellor, Robert Birgeneau for highlighting yet another devastating impact of Proposition 209, we find the comments and actions of California Regent Ward Connerly to be as shallow as his commitment to equality.

In response to the news conference held by Chancellor Birgeneau last week, Connerly stated that for airing the horrific impact of Prop 209, Chancellor Birgeneau should be, “fired,” or “taken behind the woodshed for revealing such disregard for the people who pay the bills.”...."

[Ann Arbor Dem]

1. This is beyond words.

Disgraceful, mortifying, atrocious, reprehensible, abominable, frightening, and heinous don't even begin to describe the situation.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Just terrible!

But it was confirmed that the Chancellor will be fighting Proposition 209. That's encouraging!

[angee_is_mad]

3. Hi Frenchie

and I hope he doesn't stop. What is wrong with California? Isn't it suppose to be one of the most liberal cities.

Maybe there's a new definition of liberalism that I don't know about.

[fortyfeetunder]

4. Not just CA, also in WA

Connerly came up here and got some sheeple to pass Initiative 200 in WA state.

Since then, it's been a challenge to even get some people to embrace diversity. Minority contracting jobs have all but dried up. The educational system is stabilized (not much change, but not better as far as increased attendance in colleges and universities).


The Seattle school system attempted to use race as a factor in school selections but the white families got all upset about it and filed a lawsuit...

So while we turn over Prop 209, we need to squish I-200 here in the Evergreen State.

[Ann Arbor Dem]

7. Connerly is circling the wagons to try to pull the same thing in Michigan.

It's going to be a hard fight, but he's not going to win.

[fortyfeetunder]

9. Don't be so sure!

We thought I-200 wouldn't pass either, we had ma$$ive corporate support and governor support, but the wackos came out of the woodworks to vote this one in....And I bet they will for the MI vote.

[Tigress DEM]

15. My sister lives in WA - Spokane

She's trying to get early child hood education funding back. I think they lost a whole lot, but many studies have been done - and I know that the numbers in Minnesota are incredible, for every $1 spent on Head Start the State save $17 in the benefits that occur for kids when they get to learn the basics of school attendance in Head Start.

Is this another one of those hidden race items, a way to shuffle money out of inner city schools and into the vouchers or whatever your state does to make sure rich people get what they want and the poor get a sharp stick in their rump.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Hi, Angee!

Tax season is over. I have more time to post now. I believe that CA is a state of extremes....to some degree. It's just that the liberals outnumber the others.

I can only say.....Thank God for Northern California!

[noiretextatique]

11. california is NOT a liberal state

though it's probably a lot more liberal than many states. we have: the Los Angeles area and the Bay Area...the rest of California, the majority of California, is not exactly liberal. Central California is huge, and mostly farmland. that area is NOT liberal, in fact, i am still nervous driving from Oakland to LA...i have a fear of lonely roads and fat sheriffs, for some reason.

at any rate, connerly's race-baiting act appeals to many, including so-called liberals. i am sure you wouldn't be surprised by the number of people who oppose affirmative action here at DU. it boggles the mind...the backlask against affirmative action.

i summarize it as follows: the mere possibility of one white person not getting something is more problematic than 400 years of exclusion and discrimination against african americans in every sphere of life.

it's a wonder america doesn't simply implode from the weight of its denial and hypocrisy.

[Tigress DEM]

13. Did the Guvenator have anything to do with it?

When I was young in California I kept seeing committment to public education go downhill and tuition to higher education rise.

I think it's happening here in Minnesota now too.

I'm not an engineer. Is this like one of the top schools or something?

[fortyfeetunder]

16. Yes, in computer and electrical engineering

According to US News and World Report's rankings of engineering schools that award up to doctoral degrees.

[GOPFighter]

5. This is just one more crisis in a nation in crisis

Someday we'll come to our senses and kick the Republican's asses back to the stone age where they came from...and we'll all marvel at how bad it got before we turned it around.

[Tigress DEM]

14. Have you guys been seeing the posts about Republican's converting?

When you say we will marvel at how bad it got before we turned it around I think of those posts I've been seeing recently.

Recovering Republicans, people whose parents who have been in the R party for 30 years getting an honest education here on DU and turning their affiliation against the madness of the rethugs.

I still think it's hard for an intellectual person to be a die hard Republican or a compassionate person a racist.

If one understands the basics of how the economy and the checks and balances work, it doesn't make sense to let a party that has always gotten along way to well with the monied side of things "run" the government. They always find ways to leave out whoever they consider "undesirables" and to scapegoat somebody for their behavior.

Compassionate people look at someone in a situation and say, "What if that happened to me? Wouldn't I want someone to do something?" Then they wade in and are part of it. Compassionate people are looking at the whole person, not just parts.

I find that we all balance out under the skin. Everybody does stuff that would piss people off and everyone has something good to do in this world. If we could just encourage, allow and understand one another we could all overcome our obstacles and fears and accomplish so much.

Who does what shouldn't be as important as everyone pitching in and doing SOMEthing. IMO

[FrenchieCat]

8. I will say that I went to an Oakland Links Chapter award

ceremony for graduating black seniors, who where being recognized for graduating with a 3.5 GPA or higher. I counted 11 of the 50 or so that were there; all were going to U.C. Berkeley. I don't know if any of them played sports (as that is still one of the ways that Blacks are being admitted....i.e., the UC system doesn't look at race, but it sure looks to see if it needs a linebacker). If that's of any comfort.

[Swamp Rat]

10. I bet ARMY recruitment is up, though. n/t

:(

[FrenchieCat]

12. Army recruitment activities are up....but the sign up numbers

are way down. I'm guessing that folks don't want to have to die to just see the world.