Given that it is the 40th anniversary of the "I have a Dream" speech and 
several of the Nicademiks crew are now in law school and others are 
contemplating on attending graduate schools, I believe it is very prescient 
to discuss the topic of people of color in higher education. 

It is unfortuante to see the very few people of color as I sit in my law 
school classroom. As I'm sure Raf and Jerome both look out at their 
respective classrooms, they see a skewed representation of ethnic 
diversity. In California, where Raf and I attend law school, where 
Latinos are now 35% of the population, Raf and I are the "minorities," 
in law school where given the population numbers we should be among 
the "majority." 

Affirmative Action has been instrumental in providing people such as 
Jerome, Raf, and myself with the opportunity to advance in Academia 
and be able to be a guiding force within our community.  Without 
Affirmative Action, it is unlikely that we would have achieved the access 
nor the opportunity to meet the people, enter the programs, and finally 
succeed in getting the place where we are currently in our lives and 
where we want to be at the end of our lives. 

It is interesting that now in the 40th anniversary of the "I have a Dream" 
speech which was the watershed moment of the Civil Rights Movement, 
that now in California there is a proposition that would repeal the last 
vestiges of the Dream. As much as I want to say that the Dream has 
been fulfilled, it has not. There are still strong pillars of instiutional racism 
and as well people of color have not managed to balance the playing field 
yet. As Americans, we are still working on living with each other, praying 
with each other, and working alongside each other. 

In many ways now, we are more segregated than we were in the past. 
It can be seen in our public schools where in metropolitan areas, the 
majority student population are those of students of color while in surburban 
areas, caucasian students are in the majority. Also, people of color do not 
earn as much as their caucasian counterparts. And as I have mentioned 
earlier, students of color are not as fully represented in higher education 
as they need to be. The Dream is a work in progress, a work that has 
involved blood, sweat, and tears. But nothing in life is easy, and if we are 
to perform God's work here on earth, then as imperfect beings we will 
cause mistakes, make errors, and also succeed. 

With a pure conscience our only sure reward, let us now proceed to 
perform God's work and create a lasting just, peaceful, and loving world. A 
world which was envisioned in the sweltering summer heat of August 1963, 
where standing in front of the Great Emanciaptor, a preacher helped us to 
begin removing the shackels of oppression and injustice. With that vision 
in mind and with our hearts and minds united in our quest for peace and 
justice, let us answer the clarion call of our ancestors and create a world 
that is heaven on earth.       





- September 5, 2003 

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