UC Berkely Students Hold Admittedly Racist, “Pay by Race” Bake Sale

 

 

by Dr. Boyce Watkins – Your Black World

The “Increase Diversity Bake Sale,” to be held by the campus Republicans at Berkeley College, has brought attention to the university for all the wrong reasons.  The sale charges different prices for food based on race – white men pay the most, with Native American, African American and Latino students paying the least.

The bake sale is being held because the students wish to bring attention to pending legislation that would allow the university to consider race in its admissions criteria.

"We agree that the event is inherently racist, but that is the point," BCR President Shawn Lewis said in  a statement. "It is no more racist than giving an individual an advantage in college admissions based solely on their race (or) gender."

Lewis claims that many voices from the group, including Asian, Hispanic and female students, felt that the bake sale was appropriate.

"More than half of the voices were female," he said.

Berkeley’s student government held an emergency meeting to pass a resolution that "condemns the use of discrimination whether it is in satire or in seriousness by any student group."

"I completely support the idea of BCR -- or any students on campus -- (having) political discussion," ASUC President Vishalli Loomba said. "I think student members of BCR have a full right to express their feelings, but I don't necessarily think this tactic is constructive. I strongly encourage them to engage in this dialogue in a more constructive manner, such as a forum or a town hall meeting.'

I am glad to see that there is balance to the conversation at Berkeley and that every student is not as ignorant about racial history as the campus republicans.  If they were to take a second to study history, they might realize that the so-called “discrimination” against white males is necessary to counter hundreds of years of social, political and economic power that white males have been allowed to accumulate at the expense of everyone else. 

When a man spends years stealing from another person, he can’t simply say “I’m sorry, I won’t do it anymore.”  There is restitution that must be repaid and damage that must be rectified.  Trillions of dollars in wealth and opportunity were stolen from minorities throughout the nation after hundreds of years of indisputable and systemic theft.  It is only fitting of the arrogant and unethical tradition of American racism that some white male students have been convinced that they are somehow being victimized by the nation’s efforts to achieve true equality.  These students lie directly in the tradition of Bull Connor, southern slave owners and many others who stood in the way of racial progress in America – their ancestors have taught them well.

Berkeley should be ashamed of these students, but it appears that they already are.  The actions of the campus republicans at Berkeley are no less embarrassing than a Klan rally in the town square.  What’s saddest is that some of the leaders from the next generation are going to come out of this organization, which doesn’t say good things about our future.  

 

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition.  To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.