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Racial Segregation Lives On at Arizona State University

果冻传媒app官方

TEMPE, Ariz., October 5, 2005鈥擲tate-sponsored racial segregation has found a home at Arizona State University (ASU).  ASU鈥檚 ironically named 鈥淩ainbow Sections鈥 of English 101 and 102 have been advertised on flyers and on the university鈥檚 website as being open to 鈥淣ative Americans only.鈥

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (果冻传媒app官方) has written to the university to demand that the classes be opened to all students. Shockingly, this marks the second time in less than four years that FIREhas been forced to protest a racially segregated course at ASU.

鈥淚t is appalling that ASU would resurrect segregated classes five decades after Brown v. Board of Education,鈥 stated David French, president of 果冻传媒app官方.  鈥淭he idea that a class can be 鈥榮eparate but equal鈥 was discredited long ago.鈥

The 鈥淩ainbow Sections鈥 of English 101 and 102, ASU鈥檚 freshman composition courses, were advertised as 鈥渞estricted to Native Americans only鈥 on the faculty webpage of Professor G. Lynn Nelson, the course instructor.  A flyer addressed to 鈥淣ative American 果冻传媒app官方鈥 states that they 鈥渁re invited to enroll in special Native American sections of ENG 101 and 102.鈥  It also discusses some of the differences between the special sections and the 鈥渟tandard First Year Composition classes,鈥 making it clear that the special sections offer a different educational experience.

鈥淭hese sections don鈥檛 allow non-Native American students to be part of the unique learning experience they provide,鈥 remarked Greg Lukianoff, 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 director of legal and public advocacy.  鈥淚f ASU believes that some Native Americans may benefit from a different kind of writing course, surely the same goes for students of other backgrounds.鈥

FIRE last wrote to ASU in April 2002 to protest a segregated Navajo history class that limited enrollment to Native American students. At that time, ASU simply dropped the racial restriction in response to 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 letter.  FIREhas yet to receive any response to its September 23, 2005, letter denouncing ASU鈥檚 latest effort to offer different classes to those of different races, although some mentions of the racial restrictions have silently vanished from ASU鈥檚 website.

鈥淭his is not a close call,鈥 noted 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 French.  鈥淎SU needs to remove these obviously immoral and unconstitutional racial restrictions on enrollment. Does anyone really think that the classes ASU students can take should depend on their ancestry?鈥

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation鈥檚 colleges and universities. 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 efforts to preserve liberty at Arizona State University can be viewed at thefire.org/asu.

CONTACT:
Greg Lukianoff, Director of Legal and Public Advocacy, 果冻传媒app官方: 215-717-3473; greg@thefire.org
Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University: 480-965-8972; michael.crow@asu.edu

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