By Andre Spivey
In our current social and political climate, it is imperative that we direct and focus our attention and energies to one of our on-going civil rights struggles here in the State of Michigan. Therefore, the Detroit City Council unanimously passed a resolution led by Council Member André L. Spivey and joined by Council President Brenda Jones calling for the restoration of Affirmative Action in Michigan.
As some might recall, in the 1990’s there was a movement headed by Mr. Wardell (Ward) Anthony Connerly. Mr. Connerly is a businessman, political activist, former University of California Regent and the leader of a national non-profit organization in opposition to Affirmative Action. He is credited with leading the Proposition 209 initiative that ended Affirmative Action in the State of California in 1996.
Mr. Connerly’s movement found its way to Michigan first in the form of a lawsuit brought in 1997, challenging racial preferences in the University of Michigan’s admission policies. This challenge was successful in part; however, the court did allow the University of Michigan Law school to continue its use preferences in the admission policy. This led to the ballot initiative called the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) or proposal 2.
Proposal 2 was a citizen’s initiative aimed at stopping discrimination based on race, color, sex or religion in admission to colleges, employment, and other publicly funded institutions, effectively prohibiting Affirmative Action by public institutions.
The initiative was approved for the ballot despite the Michigan Civil Rights Commission concluding that MCRI and the supporters of Proposal 2 had committed widespread and systematic racially targeted fraud in their petition campaign to secure ballot access by telling citizens who signed petitions they were signing a petition in support of Affirmative Action programs. In November 2006, it passed by a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent, which ended affirmative action by public institutions in Michigan.
The results of this vote and amendment to the Michigan Constitution have negatively impacted the African American community for over a decade and has the potential to continue to affect our community and other underrepresented communities for decades to come.
Some of the results were the elimination of services such as preparation programs for students of color, summer science programs for girls, outreach to minority and women-owned businesses to notify them of government contracting opportunities, and funding for training of minority professionals in fields where they are underrepresented. It also led to significant decreases in government contracts being awarded to minority and women-owned businesses, hiring of minority and female university professors, and the percentages of women and minorities working in the construction trades. Further, it prevents governments from offering services and assistance with issues common to underrepresented segments of our community.
In addition, it has led to a decrease in the percentages of African Americans enrolled in our Michigan colleges. For example, in 2000 the freshman class entering the University of Michigan was 9.06 % African American. Now (20) twenty years later, in 2020, the freshman entering class in a mere 4.6% African American. This illustrates an almost 50% decline in Black student enrollment over the past 20 years. While recognizing the possibility of other contributing factors, the deprivation of educational opportunities for our children directly affects the future of our race. One would think we would be in a better place 20 years later, however the truth is that the 2006 initiative Proposal 2, was designed to set us back on many levels and it did. This is textbook systemic racism.
There are three ways to amend the Michigan Constitution. Amendment by Legislative proposal and vote of the electors, Amendment by petition and vote of electors and General Revision of Constitution: Submission of Question, Convention Delegates and Meeting. The two most common methods are as follows; Amendment by Legislative proposal and vote of the electors. This allows for the amendment to be proposed in the senate and house of representatives. The proposed amendments once agreed to by two-thirds of the members of each house can go to the voters at the next general election or a special election.
The other most common method is an amendment by petition and vote of electors. Under this provision, the amendment may be proposed by petition of registered voter in the state, signed by registered voters of the State of Michigan equal in number to at least 10 percent of the total votes cast for all candidates for governor at the last preceding general election at which the governor was elected. One of these methods of amending our Constitution will have to take place for Affirmative Action to be restored.
If this is indeed a new day in our society, it is time for a new voter initiative or better yet time for the legislative of this State to step up and demonstrate real action. Starting the conversation is a good first step, but we need a call to action. Its time for Affirmative Action to be restored in Michigan.
Brenda Jones is an At-Large Member and President of the Detroit City Council. Andre L. Spivey represents District 4 on the Detroit City Council
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