Friday, October 23, 1998
Jackson speaks out on diversity
PROTESTS: At least 500 gather to call for changes in affirmative
action policies
By Mason Stockstill
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Activists capped off the second day of walkouts Thursday with
numerous speakers in addition to the continued teach-ins by various
professors.
The day started off on a strong note, with the Rev. Jesse
Jackson speaking in Meyerhoff Park at noon.
As Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) President
Stacy Lee hung a banner proclaiming "Take back our university" from
the roof of Kerckhoff Hall, beneath her, Jackson entreated
demonstrators to continue fighting for what they believe in.
"The great American dream is to include all and leave no one
behind," he began. "You must fight for the big-tent America."
At least 500 students were present at the beginning of the
protest when Jackson began to speak. Many protesting students, who
spilled over from Meyerhoff onto a crowded Bruin Walk, wore black
shirts in support of the national Day of Protest against police
brutality.
Several students left the rally early to attend another rally at
the LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.
Jackson’s speech was peppered with phrases lifted from America’s
history, saying, "We the people must open the tent" to all races,
and "This land is our land."
This event marked Jackson’s third appearance in three years at
UCLA, each time speaking out against actions taken by the UC Board
of Regents and Proposition 209, which banned the consideration of
race or gender in state hiring practices and university admissions
when it passed in 1996.
Jackson ended his speech by calling on students to vote
Democratic come the November elections, and then he engaged the
crowd in a call and answer, where students echoed, "Keep hope
alive."
Following Jackson was Kent Wong, an assistant director of the
labor center in the School of Public Policy and Social
Research.
Wong made a point that several later speakers also brought up,
that he felt UCLA had benefited from affirmative action
policies.
"Affirmative action has made UCLA a stronger institution," he
said.
"When they talk about eliminating affirmative action, they’re
talking about rolling back all our gains from the civil rights
movement," he said.
Wong also referred to two successful Latino politicians Â
Antonio Villaraigosa and Gil Cedillo  who had attended UCLA
Law School with him.
"They both got in because of affirmative action," Wong said.
"And (people) will tell you they weren’t qualified? Give me a
break!"
"Taking away affirmative action is taking away from the future
Cedillos and Villaraigosas the chance to succeed," he said.
UCLA administrators had little reaction to the two days of
protests, other than to say that they were supportive of the
faculty’s right to speak freely.
Executive Vice Chancellor Rory Hume, who spoke with Chancellor
Albert Carnesale about the issue, asserted the university’s stance
on diversity.
"We’re determined over time to boost the numbers of
underrepresented students and monitor diversity in faculty and
staff," Hume said.
"We’re firm in the belief that diversity is a central component
of academic strength," Hume said.
UC President Richard Atkinson declined to make a statement on
the protests, which took place at various campuses across the
country, including Washington, Michigan and every UC campus.
Fernando Gapasin, a professor in the School of Public Policy and
Social Research, pointed out that actions of this nature are likely
to continue to occur until some sort of resolution is reached.
"This year will be full of demonstrations," Gapasin said. "And
I’ll be around to help."NICOLE MILLER
The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks in front of hundreds of students
gathered in Meyerhoff Park today at noon to rally for support for
affirmative action programs.
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