TAKING ACTION: (From the left) Mel Hannah, Michael Wong, Wilbert Nelson and Essen Otu came together Tuesday night in the Memorial Union to talk about their view on Arizona Civil Rights Initiative, Prop 107. (Photo by Scott Stuk)

An enthusiastic crowd of students attended the August 31 Forum on Ballot Initiative 107, the so-called Connerly anti-equal opportunity ballot initiative named after Californian Ward Connerly who has made a career out of pushing his initiatives in key states across America.

“…Panelist Michael Wong, the vice president of policy for the Undergraduate Student Government, said if Proposition 107 were to pass, it would reinforce inequality at ASU… ‘This proposition is disingenuous if not completely false,’ Wong said. ‘If we’re a truly colorblind society, graduation rates should be parallel. That argument just doesn’t fly.’

…Essen Otu, the diversity and cultural competency director for the Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, said beyond education, the passing of this proposition could further devastate the economy.
‘It’ll put the financial stability of our state in a really bad place,’ Otu said. ‘People already don’t want to come to this state and the workforce is aging. How will we fill these positions?’

…Panelist Mel Hannah, the Chairman of Protect Arizona’s Freedom No on 107 campaign and former director of community outreach and job development for the Greater Phoenix Urban League, said that the ballot is being promoted deceptively. ‘The initiative labeling is very misleading,’ Hannah said. ‘It will not treat folks fairly; it will do the opposite.’

…Arizona State Conference NAACP President Wilbert Nelson said similar legislation in other states cut retention programs for underrepresented students, and those states are scrambling to reverse it.
‘California and Texas put in similar legislation,” Nelson said. “It dropped graduation rates, so they’re slowly re- implementing programs.’…”

http://www.statepress.com/2010/08/31/panel-denounces-anti-affirmative-action-initiative/