BSA and HACER organize rally to protest 5th Circuit Court decision

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by George Hatoun

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On April 2, the academic quadrangle saw its largest student demonstration in many years.

The crowd, at times consisting of more than 250 students, faculty, staff and other community members, came to protest the recent 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision to stop universities from using race as a criterion in admission decisions.

The rally was organized by members of the Black Student Association and the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice. Speakers included State Representative Garnet Coleman, State Representative Diana Davila and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston).

Coleman expressed his outrage and concern at the court's decision .

"I'm angry because all the things that the people who came before me fought for are being rolled back with the stroke of one pen.

"I was as concerned as you are ... that because of the ruling of three people who may not even understand why it is that folks who don't look like them need the opportunity to advance, we have to be out here today, talking about something that we thought was solved a long time ago."

Lee delivered a brief but spirited speech that included a "challenge for those of us that can be considered the talented 10th."

She reminded the audience of the history of Rice, an institution that "started with a door closed" to blacks and Hispanics. Citing her own admission to Yale University, she said, "I am an affirmative action baby if you will -- proudly so."

She said that the court did not do its job when it issued its decision ending affirmative action in admission policies.

"The body [the Congress] is supposed to conceive legislation that remedies an injury," she said.

"You tell me, has there been an injury that should have been corrected?" Lee demanded.

Lee urged students to begin a letter-writing campaign to fight the decision.

"So as I continue this fight in the halls of Congress ... I have come to you to ask that you begin a letter writing campaign like you have never begun it before," she said.

"I don't want anyone eliminated from an opportunity to come to a university," Lee said.

Evoking memories of the Holocaust during World War II, she compared reluctance to stop the affirmative action from ending to "the loudness of the silence of the people who watched" the atrocities of Nazi Germany.

The centerpiece of the rally was a statement prepared by BSA and HACER members. The statement was read by HACER President Stella Flores.

Flores read, "We, the members of the Rice University's Black Student Association and Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice, stand united in opposition to the recent 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Hopwood vs. University of Texas Law School .

"The court's decision to eliminate the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions represents not only a significant setback in the progress of the past 20 years of the civil rights movement, but potentially and more frighteningly, this ruling represents the beginning of a nationwide effort to completely abolish affirmative action policies at all levels."

The statement explained the merits of affirmative action programs and their "important role" in maintaining cultural diversity. It concluded with a challenge:

"The BSA and HACER ask Rice and the Houston community to demonstrate their belief in the values of equal opportunity by giving us their commitment to fight this decision and others of its kind.

"This rally will not have served its purpose if any of us leave today without having made this commitment to the youth of our country," Flores said.

Other speakers included Computational and Applied Mathematics Professor Richard Tapia and Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho.

President Malcolm Gillis attended a portion of the rally but did not speak.

This item appeared in the News section of the April 12, 1996 issue.

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