Affirmative Action Voters League | AAVL supports affirmative action and endorses affirmative action candidates

Bumper Sticker Appreciation

Every Once In a While, That Piece of Plastic is Worth It

We are big affirmative action voters in my house. We are pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-welfare—pretty much the very pinko communist socialist scary people that most white men past age fifty regularly fear. We’re anti-gun, pro-peace, and we think everyone should hold hands and sing together on a regular basis. I would totally weave flowers on my hair daily if it weren’t for my allergies.

So you can imagine that the back of our car is covered with some colorful bumper stickers. Sure we have an Optimus Prime head and a “Feel Your Boobies” sticker that makes people think we are running a porn site rather than supporting breast cancer screenings and self-checks (I swear, the guys at my husband’s work always thought it was adult entertainment); but we also have environmental stickers, an anti-Fox news one, a pro-choice one, a stop genocide one, and two gay rights support stickers—one that’s a simply equality sticker courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign, the other one that reads “I Support Equal Marriage Rights.”

Usually we get harassed about our stickers; we do live in the Bible belt, after all. But in the past week, we were surprisingly rewarded with some bumper sticker appreciation. The first incident was simply a note left on our windshield that read thank you for supporting these important causes, which was nice; I stuck it in my journal.

The second, however, was much more vocal. We were at a stoplight when the car behind us suddenly zipped around us. We figured it was going to be some jackass who couldn’t stand something on the back of our car again—sometimes I do feel slightly guilty about causing road rage with my car’s butt—but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was a car full of guys honking, cheering, and waving at us. One even told my husband he was hot—right in front of his wife, I might add!—before blowing kisses at both of us. We both just laughed and waved, happy that it wasn’t someone else calling us names.

No, we don’t suffer like our gay brothers and sisters do; people don’t threaten to kill us or bully us for our lifestyles. But we still get cursed at or even have things thrown at us for our beliefs. It shouldn’t be this way, but unfortunately it is; all I can say is that on days like this, when we get an unexpected dose of friendliness, it makes it so much easier, even if for a few moments, and it reminds us that we are not alone. I hope that my story encourages other likeminded people to seek each other out and show your support to one another whenever and wherever you can.

Obama Compares Economic Justice Fight to Civil Rights Movement

The President took advantage of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication to sermonize about the fight for economic justice.

President Obama spoke at the dedication of a 30-foot granite statue of Martin Luther King Jr. a memorial to the pastor and leader of the Civil Rights Movement yesterday in Washington. Obama has spent nearly a month touring and talking to his American Jobs Act, a $447 billion jobs creation bill that was recently voted down in the Senate. His campaign for “economic justice” came through loud and clear during Sunday’s dedication, where he compared the present economic fight to the civil rights movement. "When met with hardship, when confronting disappointment, Dr. King refused to accept what he called the 'is-ness' of today,” Obama told the tens of thousands gathered for the dedication. “He kept pushing for the 'ought-ness' of tomorrow.”

As reported in Reuters, Obama juxtaposed the tenacity of the civil rights movement by talking about “the work” to be done in righting our economic ship, and how it took persistence on the part of civil rights protestors and activists to work for equality with African-Americans and minorities. He pointed to the "progress that has expressed itself in a million ways,” since the 1963 march on Washington. He highlighted global economic competition, world-class schools, healthcare access and affordability, and equality and fairness in the economic system. He even mentioned, though not in name, the Occupy Wall Street movement, both praising their struggle but admonishing some of their tactics. “If [Martin Luther King Jr.] were alive today, I believe he would remind us that the unemployed worker can rightly challenge the excesses of Wall Street without demonizing all who work there," he said, adding: "Aligning our reality with our ideals often requires the speaking of uncomfortable truths and the creative tension of non-violent protest."

Obama’s comparison of the fight for jobs and economic justice to the civil rights movement was received well by attendees of the dedication. However, it remains to be seen how others will feel about taking advantage of so prominent an American’s memorial dedication to do a bit of politicking. There will most likely be some fallout from the right, who will of course take advantage of an opportunity to criticize the President. However, the similarities between the under-represented and unheard masses of African Americans of the civil rights movement, and the feelings of “the other 99%” in the current movement against economic injustice is undeniable. The economic injustices that contribute to income disparity, unemployment, and stagnant growth are just as institutionalized as the racial discrimination of the 1940’s, but effect a much wider swath of the American public.

Why we Still Need Affirmative Action

Many people wonder why we still have Affirmative Action. The reason is simple: we need it.

Women and minorities still make less money than white males, economic disparity is in no danger of going away, and educational opportunities are still hard to come by for many of our youth today. Affirmative Action laws and programs provide a measure of much-needed hope and security to individuals who might otherwise find doors to opportunity shut through discrimination.

The gay marriage debate still rages, giving many people hot tempers and grumpy attitudes that could potentially be taken out on job applicants who happen to be homosexual. With Affirmative Action laws in place, that employer will likely be deterred from overt discrimination. To take another example, suppose you are one of two contenders for a scholarship to your local university. The university has a student population that is 98% white. You are Asian, and the other college applicant is white. Supposing the scholarship can only go to one of the students, which student's presence would help make the college environment more diverse, and therefore enriching? Affirmative Action programs encourage diversity in choices whenever appropriate, offering support to students who might not be able to attend college without the help of a scholarship. Affirmative Action regulations are also in place at many universities to help guide the college admissions process, ensuring a more varied student population including individuals from a variety of backgrounds. And let's not forget that Affirmative Action is a lot more than black rights and gay rights. Affirmative Action helps protect people with disabilities, the elderly, the young, and the religiously different from discriminative actions. Sure, Affirmative Action can't stop such prejudice completely. It can ensure, however, that if discrimination takes place at your work or government funded school, you'll have the power of the law behind you to help make it right.

Affirmative Action and the American Jobs Act

Americans are facing high unemployment rates, and for black Americans, the struggle is even greater. While the national unemployment rate was just over 9% in August, 2011, the rate of unemployment among blacks was reported at 16.7%. For young black teens, the unemployment rate was reported to be nearly 41%. The situation remains critical, and affirmative action groups like the NAACP are hopeful that Obama's American Jobs Act, recently introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives, will provide some relief.

If passed, the plan will benefit black-owned small businesses by providing access to capital and offering targeted tax cuts. The American Jobs Act would also provide support for the creation on jobs for America's youth, including unemployed black teens. With 1.4 million African Americans having been out of work for half a year or more, the extension of unemployment insurance benefits to the long-term unemployed the American Jobs Act would provide is a welcome hope to many families struggling to make ends meet.

The successful passing of the American Jobs Act would be a plus for affirmative action, supporting programs geared to helping minority-owned businesses succeed and supporting other programs that could help correct economic disparity. Interested citizens who would like their voice heard should contact their local representatives about the importance of affirmative action and the American Jobs Act. It takes just a moment to write a letter, make a quick phone call, or send an email to your congressman, and your effort might make a difference in the fate of this important bill.

Have Your Rights Been Violated?

Were your fired from your job without due cause, inexplicably denied admission to a university, or treated unfairly by law enforcement officials? When sticky situations like this arise, one has to wonder about the root cause. Unfortunately, discrimination based on race, religion, gender, disability, and age does still exist, in spite of existing affirmative action laws. So just how do you tell if you've been a victim of unlawful discrimination? While only a court can decide if a company, organization, government, or individual has violated an affirmative action law, as an aware and informed citizen, you can learn about your basic rights so you'll be able to spot potential trouble when it strikes. Here's where to look:

Your Paycheck. Are you making less than your co-workers who have similar training, experience, and job duties? Do you suspect your employer is taking religious, racial, or other discriminatory concerns into account when making payroll decisions? Investigate, and file a complaint with your company or with an affirmative action agency if necessary.

Your Fashions. Do you wear visible religious or tribal jewelry identifying you with a particular religious group or ethnicity? You have the right to wear whatever you like, as long as it's within the bounds of your company's or school's dress code. Verify policies and proceed accordingly if you feel you have been discriminated against due to your religious or racial expression.

In Your Arms. Do you talk openly about your homosexual or bisexual relationship? You have every right to do so, of course, but if you get fired without good reason a few days after bringing your gay boyfriend to work, it might be worth taking a closer look at the situation.

If you feel you have been the victim of discrimination in violation of affirmative action laws, there are several things you can do. First, look into the law, and if it seems your rights have indeed been violated, take it up with the Human Resources Department or other administrators at your school, workplace, or government-funded organization. Be polite and get all the facts you can regarding existing policies. File a formal or informal complaint or grievance and see if this solves the problem. If it doesn't, and you still feel like you may be a victim of unlawful discrimination, find an affirmative action lawyer or non-profit affirmative action agency in your area and get help taking legal action.

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The National Obsession with Obama's Race

Spoiler Alert: He's just as "white" as he is "black"

In 2002, Harvard Law professor Randall Kennedy turned some heads with his provocatively titled book Nigger, canonizing the history of the word and the incredible power it wields in "post-racial" America. He has since written a number of books on the other major racial topic of the age, President Obama. However, his most recent book, The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency encapsulates the political aspect of the President's race and heritage, how it influenced in 2008 presidential campaign, and what the implications may be for 2012. A recent review of the book in the New York Times begins with a political analysis of the president's gait, swaggering "glide" in front of an African-American audience in 2008, and more reserved step in front of whites. This perfectly characterizes the delicate balance Obama has had to strike in his political dealings; on one hand the "brother" that understands the plight of black people, but not so severely that he can't also be the ivy-league educated, cool-mannered pragmatist he presented to white constituents. He nailed the character... but now three years into his administration, the policy is what needs polishing.

Media often portrayed Obama 2008 as a post-racial campaign, only drawing attention to the shade of his skin when some conservative or pundit made a belligerent remark about it. However, in his book, Kennedy makes race the central issue in his campaign. What's perhaps most intriguing about Kennedy's treatment of that campaign is his acclaim for Republican opponent, John McCain, who did not attempt to exploit a perceived racial vulnerability in Barack Obama. However, Kennedy says that despite the very P.C. treatment of Obama's candidacy, race was the pivotal aspect of Obama's candidacy, saying that was what appealed, “to the emotions of millions of white Americans who yearned for a moment of racial redemption."

Obama's race did some to fore, even in the media, with the entrance of his connection to Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the controversial preacher who notoriously remarked, "God damn America!" Wright was a firebrand, and a divisive figure in black politics, and Obama immediately distanced his presidential persona from him. The delicate balance that the then-candidate needed to portray could have been hopelessly tarnished with white voters by such an extreme racial label. And this is the fundamental characteristic of Obama's presidency, the learned and pragmatic black man. He does not communicate any of the tough, take-no-prisoners rhetoric that characterizes his Tea Party proselytizing opponents, because for a black man (let alone a black president) to do that would be political suicide. His white constituency, though they may plead with him to be tougher on progressive issues, may step back should he exhibit some of that "black power", while opponents, in their involuntarily racist way (and not slightly hypocritical), would again point the finger at him as part of a radical black community.

A man that has been made to straddle the divide between cultures, and indeed between worlds, is fundamentally and inherently a centrist. Obama's policies, his language, and his evenly-mannered demeanor speak to the fact that, though he may be liberally principled, he is a mediator of the highest order. In an age of political divisiveness and seemingly irreconcilable ideologies, history may find its first black president to be the most effective remedy, or its most useless. Either way Barack Obama's very person is one for the history books. As for his policy, that remains to be seen.