UCLA's best: 2.) Campaign Against Prop. 54
By Daily Bruin Staff
June 2, 2004 9:00 p.m.
During the November recall election, student coalitions came
together to campaign against Proposition 54.
The teamwork employed to help defeat the ill-conceived
initiative marked one of UCLA’s greatest successes this
year.
Proposition 54 threatened the ability of state agencies to be
accountable to the public by proposing that race data collection be
widely banned.
The initiative, spearheaded by the University of
California’s own Regent Ward Connerly, would have hurt the
state’s ability to provide equal access to public
resources.
Universities would not have been able to track the effectiveness
of outreach efforts, and research capabilities would have been
hampered as scholars would not have been able turn to state
databases for information.
Proponents argued the initiative would have led to a more
color-blind society. But thankfully UCLA students and others were
wise enough to realize that ignoring race was a plainly foolish way
to create equality.
During a crazy time in California ““Â when the state
was the joke of the nation for recalling its chief executive and
electing a Hollywood star ““Â Proposition 54’s sound
defeat was a bright spot.
The Daily Bruin Editorial Board reflects on the strengths
and weaknesses of UCLA at the end of spring quarter. Considering
news events, people, policies and trends, the board has compiled a
list of UCLA’s best and UCLA’s worst. The remaining
“best and worst” editorials will run Friday.
