Not Out to Confront

Affirmative action is raising tensions between minorities and whites at many US college campuses. Part 2 of 2.

AT least among the [white] students, there is an undercurrent of "Gee, what are you doing here?" or "Gee, a friend of mine didn't get in and I wonder if you're in his place." I've always felt that affirmative action would lead to that.

It means once I get in, I have to work twice as hard to prove I belong here.

We've got a program here [in affirmative action] that doesn't work, and blacks want whites to tap-dance around the issue and not to talk about it.

My mother worked in a laundry for minimum wage.

She scrimped to put me through private schools.

I'll graduate from law school in four weeks. That's for her. That's what I owe her - to graduate.

The white man doesn't owe me anything. Just stay out of my way.

A lot of what I hear - and ... I hate this so much - is Because of slavery, we owe the black man.

It says that I can't make it without your white hand on my shoulder.

At times, it was somewhat uncomfortable to express my views at school, because they were not radical. I wasn't out to confront the white man.