📚👨🎓 Haoles and All da Talk ’bout Affirmative Action
How One Decision Changed Da Lives of Black and Hispanic Graduates
Eh, da Supreme Court stay tinkin’ ’bout dis big decision ’bout affirmative action, yeah? Da case against Harvard and da University of North Carolina stay gettin’ plenty attention. But wat about da people who stay directly affected by race-conscious admissions? Da Black and Hispanic college graduates, dey get some complicated thoughts ’bout all dis. Da Supreme Court stay gettin’ ready fo’ make one ruling, and dat stay make everyting mo’ chaotic. 😱📚👨🎓
Let me tell you one story ’bout dis braddah Granderson Hale from Philadelphia. He stay one top student in his high school back in 1968. You know how dey stay get plenny recruiters from historically Black colleges come check da students, yeah? Almost all da students stay Black, so da recruiters like come by plenty. Mr. Hale, he stay hope fo’ get in one of dem colleges like Lincoln, Morgan, or Cheney. But he know da chances fo’ get into Howard University, dat stay slim. So one day, his guidance counselor tell him dat somebody from Brown University coming. Mr. Hale stay like, “Brown? Who dat? Charlie Brown?” 🤔😄
Anyways, Mr. Hale, he stay end up go Wesleyan University in Connecticut on one full academic scholarship. He no know back den dat he stay be part of da first group of high-school graduates affected by race-conscious admissions. He no know dis practice goin’ turn into one big debate ’bout racial justice, meritocracy, and unfairness in education. Brown University stay not da only college recruiting from high schools wit’ plenny Black students. One year aftah Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wen pass away, Yale stay take in 96 Black students in one semester. Dass one record, braddahs and sistahs. 😮📚🎓
Now, dis Supreme Court case stay cause all kine reactions. Da liberals stay scared, dey tink it goin’ take da country backward. Some oddah folks stay hope dat maybe we can do admissions based on social class instead of race. Dey tink dat can fix da problem and make everyting mo’ fair. And den get da conservatives, dey stay happy, ’cause dey believe race-conscious admissions go ‘gainst da Constitution. 🤷♂️🏛️
But da people who stay affected by affirmative action, dey stay gettin’ mixed up feelings. I wen talk story wit’ plenny Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans who went elite schools. Dey no know if race help ’em or hurt ’em. Some of ’em say da bad stuff outweigh da good stuff. Some say dey stay feel like impostahs, like dey no deserve to be dere. And plenny more, dey stay feel sad dat da path dey wen take goin’ close. Dat path wen lead to good jobs and money. Dis Supreme Court case stay make ’em tink ’bout da legacy of affirmative action. Dey stay tink ’bout how fo’ make everyting fair, but without making da racial problems worse. One thing fo’ sure, da enrollment of Black and Hispanic students goin’ drop. Dat stay fo’ real, braddahs and sistahs. 📉😔
You know, dis Mr. Hale, he one oldah braddah now, 71 years old. He can see why some people like da end of race-conscious admissions. He say he no mo’.
NOW IN ENGLISH
📚👨🎓 Haoles and All the Talk about Affirmative Action
How One Decision Changed the Lives of Black and Hispanic Graduates
Hey, the Supreme Court is thinking about this big decision regarding affirmative action, right? The case against Harvard and the University of North Carolina is receiving a lot of attention. But what about the people who are directly affected by race-conscious admissions? The Black and Hispanic college graduates, they have some complicated thoughts about all this. The Supreme Court is getting ready to make a ruling, and that will make everything more chaotic. 😱📚👨🎓
Let me tell you a story about this guy, Granderson Hale from Philadelphia. He was a top student in his high school back in 1968. You know how there were many recruiters from historically Black colleges coming to check the students, right? Almost all the students were Black, so the recruiters used to come by a lot. Mr. Hale, he hoped to get into one of those colleges like Lincoln, Morgan, or Cheney. But he knew the chances of getting into Howard University were slim. Then one day, his guidance counselor told him that somebody from Brown University was coming. Mr. Hale was like, “Brown? Who’s that? Charlie Brown?” 🤔😄
Anyway, Mr. Hale ended up going to Wesleyan University in Connecticut on a full academic scholarship. He didn’t know back then that he would be part of the first group of high-school graduates affected by race-conscious admissions. He didn’t know this practice would turn into a big debate about racial justice, meritocracy, and unfairness in education. Brown University wasn’t the only college recruiting from high schools with plenty of Black students. One year after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. passed away, Yale admitted 96 Black students in one semester. That’s a record, folks. 😮📚🎓
Now, this Supreme Court case is causing all kinds of reactions. The liberals are scared, thinking it will take the country backward. Some other folks hope that maybe we can do admissions based on social class instead of race. They think that can fix the problem and make everything more fair. And then there are the conservatives, they are happy because they believe race-conscious admissions go against the Constitution. 🤷♂️🏛️
But the people who are affected by affirmative action have mixed feelings. I spoke with many Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans who attended elite schools. They don’t know if race helped or hurt them. Some of them say the negative outweighs the positive. Some say they feel like impostors, like they don’t deserve to be there. And many more feel sad that the path they took is closing. That path led to good jobs and money. This Supreme Court case makes them think about the legacy of affirmative action. They ponder how to make everything fair without making the racial problems worse. One thing is for sure, the enrollment of Black and Hispanic students is going to drop. That’s a fact, my friends. 📉😔
You know, Mr. Hale, he is an older guy now, 71 years old. He can understand why some people like the end of race-conscious admissions. He says he’s done with it.”
