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Press
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mayor
Bates Lends Support to UC Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau in Efforts to
Overcome Discriminatory Impact of Proposition 209 City Council
to vote Tuesday on proposal to support Chancellor in his efforts to
address low-enrollment of under-represented minorities at UC Berkeley. Berkeley, CA –
Mayor Tom Bates is asking the Berkeley City Council to take a
strong stand in support of UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s
efforts to overcome the discriminatory impact of California’s
Proposition 209 and increase diversity at UC’s flagship campus.
The item, which will come before the Council on Tuesday night, is
being co-sponsored by Council Members Maio, Wozniak, and Capitelli. In recent statements and articles
Chancellor Robert Birgeneau issued a “call to action” to address the
serious problem of UC Berkeley’s low enrollment of under-represented
minority students. In
particular, he singled out the discriminatory impact of Proposition 209 as
a major culprit in the plummeting numbers of African American, Native
American, Latino, and other students of color at UC Berkeley.
(In 1996, California voters eliminated most affirmative action and
inclusion programs throughout the state when they passed Proposition 209.)
For example, only 108 African American students are in Cal’s
freshman class this year, down from 260 in 1997. In a recent Los Angeles Times opinion article, Chancellor Birgeneau wrote: “As the current chancellor, I feel a moral obligation to address the issue of inclusion head-on. Ultimately it is a fight for the soul of this institution. Inclusion is about leadership and excellence, principles that California and its leading public university have long represented and might again.” “The State of California is a majority-minority state. For UC Berkeley not to be educating our future leaders is a travesty,” said Mayor Tom Bates. “Chancellor Birgeneau should be commended for his leadership on this critical issue.” # # # |
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