+Michelle Liu The same infantile mind that believes affirmative action is racism. Thank you for your meaningless input. btw: affirmative action also refers to gender. White females are the greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action in history period.
+Michelle Liu aside from that, (yes I'm still going because you are misinformed) affirmative action lowers it's standards for nobody. look it up. whites make up 60% of the population, this includes hispanic whites. whites receive 69% of the scholarship money available, making them *overrepresented*, or *overcompensated*. If anything, affirmative action makes up a small factor in colleges admissions. obviously if 43,000 students attend UCLA and black students only represent a 3 digit number, something is staggeringly unfair or unequal in the college admissions process or school funds. you call me racist yet you don't realize the irony of "have fun being doubted" wherever I go or whatever you said. No race is naturally stupid or naturally smart. your race does not determine your intelligence. They would doubt my intelligence due to my skin color, but the fault is with affirmative action, not their thought process? check yourself before you wreck yourself ms.Liu.
+Michelle Liu and 1 more thing. A black person, or black sounding person, is 50% less likely to get a callback for a job they are already qualified for. This is a subconscious act by primarily white business owners. Affirmative action is also meant to derail this occurrence. I'm tempted to curse you out. But that's mean and it doesn't solve any problems. So I'll put to you like this: anybody can be an asshole to anybody. However, that does not make it oppressive.
+Michelle Liu I keep reading your comments over & over and I can't help but noticing how everything you say is dead wrong. How are you going to tell me to leave due to this "reverse racism" because you think I don't know what it is? You think aa is rr, and because I support it, that I am an rr, yet I am out of place commenting on an aa video? This is YOUR logic by the way. Not mine. and you say that white females have not been the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action, yet they are. You're slipping. And I'm the one with supporting a bullshit policy? You really thought you were doing something when you told me to have a nice life. Wallow in your ignorance little girl. This is the big leagues. You can only hope to ascend to this level of consciousness.
+Michelle Liu and liberal? you think I'm liberal. That's a joke. Political parties are for control freaks and rich people. I am neither, therefore I identify with none.
When you have people of a certain "group" (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion) not attending school enough and not graduating enough, the problem is on a deep, societal level. A level that people need to give a shit about. When we can finally say that nobody is ever treated any differently or facing different expectations because of his/her skin color, THEN we can say we've made progress. Simply "requiring" more people of a certain race to graduate isn't gonna do shit. We have to rework society so that everyone has an equal chance to do what is good for them. Because right now society is ruled by rich white people and the flow of people's lives is controlled by rich white people. Then anyone who isn't a rich white person has to go through life being kept down and with warped expectations. So it doesn't matter if we say "such and such percentage of a student body should be black" because we're still fundamentally fucked as a people. We still have a long way to go.
"We're not asking for a handout, we're asking for a level playing field Those with less opportunity are fighting for their position trying to find their place But those with privilege are hitting triples when they were already born on third base" YES.
DocDOoM1979 I hope you're not blaming blacks for that.. sports is all people of color have to get anywhere sometimes. Or to stay away from the negatives, its like a safe haven. It's not their faults most whites don't play on a level as high or aren't as naturally talents in those sports. Honestly, people of color mainly play Football and Basketball.. some are in Baseball and soccer. Everything else is majority white.
alright so CLEARLY you both don't know much about rhetorical allegories when it comes to spoken word/literature. Sy's use of "level playing field" and "those with privilege are hitting triples when they were already born on third base" are NOT to be taken literally--he's referring to balancing equity within our socio-economic statuses and accessibility to resources and opportunities. These inequalities exist not because of the color of people's skins but because they're deeply embedded flaws within our society that need to be changed.
My 1st year at UCLA was the last year of affirmative action (1998), and by the time I graduated it was a very very different campus. About 50% less Black students, 50% less Latin@ students, 30+% less of Southeast Asian groups, etc. And of course, the composition of the athlete students didn't changed, we noticed it then & I see you all still notice it now. It saddens me to see some negative comments below attached to names/faces that appear to be people of color, that you don't comprehend what is going on at the school & higher education in general, resoures at home & in the community, how quality of school and even what's offered in them varies greatly and Yes does matter tremendously in someone's educational experience. Stand strong young brothers.
Y'all are so ignorant in these comments, it says in the description box that he is cherokee,black & Chinese. Y'all so focused on his skin tone and ignoring everything that he is saying. Overall this is a good video and he's speaking the truth. That's why y'all mad.
"Y'all just mad cuz he speaking the truth" that is so fallacious, and a feeble attempt at a cop out. No, we can disagree with something and it isn't simply cuz we're "mad at the truth." I have no reason to be mad, I attend ucla. Also my closest friends there are all black, and I'm a minority myself. And yes, technically this video is true. But the statistics were given without much context and the argument that is being implicitly assumed is absurd. Are you suggesting that ucla should make it easier on students of color? Or that when an admissions officer looks at a black person's application, they're thinking "oh this persons black I don't wanna admit him." Please. That is silly. Let's stop blaming other people, subjecting each other to this jail cell of victim hood, and look at the real issue: the communities. It starts with the elementary schools, the lack of positive academic culture in predominately black and Hispanic schools.
I am a graduate student in the Chemistry Department at UCLA, and I can honestly say we have very, very, low numbers as far as any diversity goes. wow. I re-posted this video on my facebook wall several months ago and got tons of racist comments on it. Then I looked on here because I was showing this video to my brother, and read all the nasty, super-racist and ignorant comments on here. It is crazy how on the street, no one would say anything as nasty as what they are saying on here. But on the internet, you can hide behind whatever persona you choose to put on, and hide behind your computer screen. This video is definitely needed, and I wanted to THANK YOU guys for putting it together. My only critique is that it does not represent the WOMEN of color who are so very under-represented at UCLA. I just wanted to contrast some of these comments, and let you all know that there ARE student / teachers at UCLA who agree with you, and who are listening. So keep talking. Please keep talking.
I'm not leaving a long comment like everyone seems to be doing. All I have to say is this is simply beautiful. I respect what this video is for. And I respect them.
I attend UCLA & I'm SO glad this video exists. Our black brothers and sisters are so underrepresented here & we get thrashed for simply stating the fact that we are underrepresented and when we call out the mico-aggressive racism that happens on this God damn campus every single day. Its so easy to feel lost and unwanted here. I'm even considering transferring because the racism I've faced here at this school are unlike anything I've ever faced. To anyone finding the idea of a "diverse" campus attractive, do not come to UCLA. the only thing diverse about UCLA is the different places the people come from, but all that makes up this campus is asian and white. & a grand majority of them have some sort of hatred, aggression, or racist feelings/thoughts towards blacks, Not all of them of course. There are some amazing people at UCLA, don;t get me wrong. But they're buried behind all of the hating ones. I have yet to say I am proud to go to the school. Proud to be a Bruin. Not when my people and I are viewed as less than or only used for our skin colour to fill numbers, and our athletic ability. LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD. WE ARE BEING OPPRESSED. WE ARE WORTH MORE THAN TO FULFILL THE "TOKEN BLACK" POPULATION PERCENTAGE OF THIS PREDOMINATELY WHITE CAMPUS. BLACK BRUIN LIVES MATTER. & RIP to EzMoney
I've always been aware that minorities are underrepresented at many universities, and I've also always been of the opinion that it's absurd how lopsided the focus is between academia and athletics. But I never really considered the implications of putting the two together until that 65% statistic. Wow. I can only imagine it would be downright insulting - to say that the only thing one's race is good for is running down a field instead of perhaps running for an office. I have a question to the makers of this video - what's the equivalent percentage of white freshmen who were athletes? I'm willing to bet it's substantially lower.
Yeah yeah yeah, watch one video and you're automatically convinced that if black people aren't in college it's because of race... maybe it's because black people live in a culture that puts least emphasis on academics? ever thought of that? plus he said that ucla black students have a 75% grad rate... know what the national average is? 40%. affirmative action doesn't make the playing field level, but hey, who cares?
Ovoid Magnetar the hell are you talking about? black people live in a culture that puts them at a disadvantage for EVERYTHING. know you're culture. This is not about black culture. this is white culture, and everyone is living in it.
What prevents an athlete with a full ride to UCLA from becoming a computer scientist? The students CHOOSE to drop out for NBA contracts, and they CHOOSE to peruse an "athletic training" degree. They are lazy and do not study.
Max Parks the reason why these Blacks who play sports got accepted to UCLA is because of their athleticism, most likely not because of their GPA although it could be both. However, their high school GPA probably did not fall in the average GPA accepted, which means academically these Black students are already under performing compared to other UCLA students. Which means chances are they will not survive academically in UCLA. So yes they got accepted to play sports, and they took that offer instead of going to a less competitive school. Whose fault is that? Go to a school that your GPA actually will get you accepted in there, and you will not struggle to graduate. Rely on your extracurricular to go to a school that you don't actually deserve to go to, and you will not survive. It's basic logics. Tbh I do sports. It's very hard to be competitive in sports and do well academically as well simply because you don't have time or energy to be competitive for both.
Skin colour ≠ diversity. When are these people going to understand that 5 white guys from five different countries in Europe are more diverse than, say, 5 urban black kids from Brooklyn?
Really dismayed to see some of these overtly racist comments. As a graduate from the UC system, I think that the under-representation of minority students was a serious disservice to my education. Thank you for putting up this video - I whole heartedly agree with the sentiment.
This clip is beautiful. Powerful. Directly true. This average middle-class white guy stands and applauds. Please let me know if i can ever do more to support in word or deed.
We're all equal, some just need to be more equal than others. >can't pass test >make it easier so you can pass By that logic just eliminate stairs and make ramps everywhere instead, and make the requirements for a driver's license so low that you can total your car and still pass. Because it's discrimination against the blind and pre-schoolers to not let them drive a car.
If you're really going to say that we are all equal, when racial inequality is STILL so prevalent in today's society then I've got news for you. We are not "all equal" and comparing racial inequality to not allowing someone who cannot drive to drive, or talking about discrimination against the blind and children in comparison is not only COMPLETELY OFF THE MARK but amazingly ignorant. So hats off to you sir, for making yourself out to be the fool.
Last weekend this video had about 39,000 hits now it's gone viral and nearing 800,000. The students and alumni are mobilizing. The detractors will never get the point unless a class action is filed against the system. Most detractors posting here don't know the long history of struggle Black Bruins have waged for parity and equal opportunity which is the bottom line here from a legal perspective.
TheLittleMod I wouldn't so much say that racial inequality is "so prevalent" as much as that it's more widely noticed and noted, and that the few who still discriminate are just louder. So, at the very least, I think we're on a good trend.
There are underlying reasons why minorities have not been passing exams at a similar level to those who are privileged. It's not that they are innately less intelligent. In some respects, they already are. This is a case where talent can only take you so far before you need more to supplement it in order for that talent to continue to thrive. The privileged have been able to afford resources to support and supplement their children's education, but those who are less so are likely unable to. They often end up in schools where the classrooms are so packed that teachers cannot devote 1-on-1 attention to each student. Some of them may attend schools where the textbooks are out of date. That's why there is a gap in academic achievement. Often times, they come from families who have not completed college, so they themselves are not surrounded by people who can help them navigate the path towards success.
Melody Lam You just made an argument for more affirmative action for the poor, not for the minority. That argument relies on an assumption that all minorities are given unequal status from birth, but that's not the case. But besides that, your reasoning definitely makes a good case.
I would like to see the numbers of black students that applied to UCLA vs. the number accepted. If the majority of black students were accepted, that is a good thing. Its not UCLA's fault that a few number of black students applied.
You're right. It's not fair. To be black in America is an added challenge on top of everything else. But if its a level playing field that you want? You're not going to get it. To the black men in America, you are the level-er of this field. Not the government, not the institutions, not the businesses. They cannot level the field for you. Join together alongside your fellow black brothers. Support, challenge and discipline one another to fight against the odds with your own strength.
Even joining together wont give us the"privileges" that other get. Its a daily struggle for anyone of us to make it through the challenge of "society." Being an educated black man or woman is difficult in both the work force and educational environment. its all talk of a fraudulent reputation in the raciest corporation to use us as a statistic. In my own experiences as a black male, I've been turned down from schools and job opportunists because of the color of my skin to someone less educated and qualified. To say that joining forces will create a change wont.
Alex Mays "I've been turned down from schools and job opportunists[sic] because of the color of my skin" You keep telling yourself that. See if it gets you anywhere.
Currently a first year at UCLA, and i can personally vouch for these statistics. Although the resources available are amazing, they cannot supplant the feeling of misplacement. I watch this every time my resolve weakens to remind myself i am not alone.
13% of the US population is black. Only 66% of blacks graduate high school. Not all of the black high school graduates will want to go on to college. So, what percentage of the enrollment would you expect to be black?
I'm curious to know if they looked at the HS graduation rates and continuation of higher education of whites vs. blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians. This is a powerful video with a needed message, but I don't think the problem is solely the UCLA admittance program. I can see the bigger problem being the amount of diverse students getting quality education, graduating, and pursuing higher education. Money is an issue for every student despite race, but that's a whole other educational problem.
For my university the four year graduation rate for the entire school is 34% and six years it's 59%. A graduation rate of 74% of African Americans is pretty great. I think the financial aid and school budgeting should be reevaluated to benefit all students in need.
I honestly don't think everyone even SHOULD go to college, some people just can't learn that way, that, and a college education has become so diluted through the years that having a degree means as much as having a diploma. I was lucky enough to get into a state university with a much cheaper tuition rate and I have 0$ in loans to pay back, thank god. I even know I got into my school (it was for art) because of my good grades and SAT score, and not necessarily my talent. I worked my ass off in HS and I am from a hispanic middle class family. College was never an option for me, it was always an inevitability. I considered dropping out several times, I felt like I wasn't learning what I should be, and in the end I feel like even with the cheaper tuition my parents overpaid for the education I received. Maybe what more people should be considering is home-college programs, where students can learn what THEY are interested in, enroll in 'open-world' classes online that allows them to learn exactly what they want to at the rate they want to learn it. Not forcing liberal arts down our throats like we're prisoners on a hungry strike. We're not lazy, we're just angry that we're all being pigeon-holed and sometimes forced into this path of high school then college when a lot of us aren't even well suited for college. More kids should be encouraged to wait, put off going for a year or two, work retail, learn how the world works and help them realize how important an education really is, or if they're lucky, they'll discover and learn what they need on their own to break into the beginnings of a successful career without wasting 4 years of their lives and thousands and thousands of dollars. I wish I had had this 'hiatus' before I went to school, or even considered it an option. When I was told I may possibly be wait listed for a semester to my chosen college I burst into frantic tears. I didn't see waiting as an option, I saw it as failure. a gap in my future nothing would be able to explain away besides the fact that I 'wasn't good enough' this is a fundamental disability in our society. Taking a break from standardized education should never be perceived as a weakness. You should never stop learning. True students will not suffer from a break, but benefit from it. I'm having my 'break' now, when I am for all intents and purposes ready for a real job and should be building the foundation of a lifelong career. I never questioned what I wanted to do when I was growing up. I always knew. And yet here I am, stuck squandering away my 20's in my parents house because no one wants to take a chance on a puerto rican with an art degree. The problem isn't that enough minorities are going to college, the problem is college doesn't even really help your chances in the first place. Where are the statistics saying college graduates of minority races are any better off? I doubt there's a significant enough difference to justify the wealth spent on a college education, even with financial aid.
As much as I wish that were true, humans are as lazy as you claim and only retain information they find relevant. I cannot possibly recall anything beyond the most basic of history facts on an elementary school level, and I took Ap US History and PASSED, as well as several required courses in Art History. My psychology course was a bit of a joke, and the only part I recall anything about was in reference to psychological marketing campaigns. My Phys. Ed classes were also jokes, I took Tai Chi and Tennis in College and gym in HS was a lot of sitting around doing nothing. I excelled most in art and writing and that is where my focus remains when it comes to retaining information. Sure you can argue and say being 'exposed' to these other disciplines is enough, and that total mastery isn't required to reap the benefits but then how can you explain say, for example, students from a highly respected art school here in NYC not having to study as many liberals producing the more talented and disciplined artists as opposed to my SUNY? I had to fight tooth and nail to learn what I needed to shape a career out of my chosen major on top of having to take all of those required learning courses. In my opinion, those courses should be completely restricted to High school students and allow us to focus in on our major when we get to college. So we are still exposed to those other disciplines, but we can dedicate the years and the TIME needed to truly earn a degree in our CHOSEN discipline.
If they're experiencing this at UCLA, well then that is the battle they're having to fight, and they have the right to call out the school they attend. It's a step in the process of identifying systematic racism at work. It's not opposite racism; it is shedding light on a way of thinking that gives a certain race the upper hand. They are calling out people in their school to grab their attention, which is what they have to do. But the system affects everyone. It's not about minority pointing at white people with hatred. It's minorities speaking up and bringing awareness for everyone. A group of us students at my own university have a similar fight, and it's all a part of identifying the unconscious biases (and conscious) that are deeply rooted in American society. We need white, black, Philippino, and every ethnicity to see that there are groups that history has limited their voice. So those with less of a say, and more of a say have to validate the experience of minorities. Bravo to this group for voicing their frustrations. I pray that you are heard at your university.
Wow! Right on! Middle School teacher here, who wants her students to reach for the stars in face of this reality. Beautiful spoken word. It so moved me. A message that needs to be shared and heard...
A “pallet” is either a bed (now rare) or a flat platform onto which goods are loaded. A “palette” is the flat board an artist mixes paint on (or by extension, a range of colors).
It takes a lot of courage to speak up! Thank you. Very informative and shocking. Here I was thinking that the good ol' u.s. of a had come a long way in righting the wrongs of the past. I had no idea it was still perpetuating them. Ignore the rude and ungracious comments and fight for the equality that should have already been granted, a long time ago, that good people have died for. I'm not American, nor am I black, and I am not male but I hear you and if any of you were my sons I would be so proud. Shame on the administration of that university.
superbarnie "according to Professor Sander, 3.3% is far too many black kids On his perfectly paved roads there are far too many black skids". Snowflakes like you help perpetuate the cycle because you think racial inequality doesn't exist and people of color who speak up about it are just screaming out, "we've found nessie!"
FireStorm First of all, I'm not white. It doesn't take a white person to simply make an observation and speak the truth. Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound? You are asking for inequality while claiming to fight inequality.
FireStorm That's simply the definition. No amount of wishful thinking is going to change it. Is that all you have to say? No one is discriminating against black students to prevent them from attending UCLA. It's is simply black students themselves tend to have lower grades and SAT/ACT scores. And as a result, the don't pass admissions. Hence, the 3.3%. It has nothing to do with Professor Sander or what not.
Well i am African American, i did not get into UCLA but i got into Cal State Northridge CSUN and i am a loud and proud alumni. I have a career making six figures more than many UCLA graduates the point i am trying to make is so what if you don't get into UCLA its not the end of the world you can go to another school and be just as successful in the outcome.Now that i look back i am glad i went to a CSU rather than going to a UC .Cal states are learning oriented and you find more diversity including more Blacks and Hispanics
If you presented the stats for how many people of color applied vs. were accepted, as well as the percentage of other ethnic backgrounds such as Asian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern, you would have a better case, I am sure the Asian population at UCLA is high, based on the fact that Cali has the highest density of Asian Americans than in any state. This only highlights the amount which are attending but dropping out. The real problem lies with pre-college education, I do completely agree with the notion that qualified individuals deserve high education, regardless of any racial, cultural, or sexual differences.
This issue is cultural and socioeconomic. It is NOT the fault of the faculty of UCLA. If you look at the demographics of UCLA, and represent them as a percentage of the demographics of California you get this: White: 38% Black: 58% Hispanic: 47% Asian: 251% That chart takes the % of the UCLA student body that is a particular race, and divides it by the % of california's population that is that race. Black students are underrepresented by almost half. Hispanic students are underrepresented by over half... and White students are underrepresented by almost two thirds. Meanwhile Asian students are overrepresented two and a half times over. How can people suggest that UCLA needs affirmative action?
Your figures are grossly misleading - you need to compare UCLA student demographics to the statewide YOUTH demographics. The demographics of Californians in K-12 schools is dramatically different than the demographics of the general state population. When you do so, you will find that whites are not underrepresented and that Latinos are much more underrepresented. There are plenty of other problems with this methodology but using these numbers will make your figures much less deceiving: www.cpehn.org/demochartdetail.php?btn_viewchart=1&view_381.x=68&view_381.y=21&view_381=Get+Statistics%21
I have a small problem with this parsing of the stats for the following reasons. First, it fails to take into account the acceptances vs. admissions, which could provide an entirely different perspective into what is going on. What if white students were accepted at a much higher rate but because of opportunities available to them enrolled elsewhere? Similarly what if more blacks were accepted, wanted to enroll, but simply couldn't afford to attend the school? That's not your fault--you simply wanted to counter the video's stats with a contrary view, which I don't think really goes to the heart of what these students'points were. The second issue I have is that UCLA is actively courting students nationally and internationally, so I'm not sure that comparing the student body to the state of California is apt. In the context of your stat, does this 3.3% of the student body include students from outside California? If so, doesn't that mean that black Californians would have been admitted at a rate far below their proportional representation? The truth is that numbers can't really provide the depth needed to intelligently discuss this issue. The information we really need to know is the school's goals for diversity in the student body, the means by which they hope to achieve that, and any obstacles that are preventing them from reaching those goals. The numbers are only a snapshot of the results of their efforts at this point in time. Is the school happy with 3.3 percent of the student body being African American males? If so, why, and is their answer reasonable?
Vince The figures on cpehn.org do not agree AT ALL with the figures on census.gov... it's not even close. Earnest Pettie I don't have enough data or time to write an entire paper parsing the data from every direction. This small tidbit is enough to call the premise of this video into question. ***** I don't have a breakdown for ANY of the continents I mentioned. I don't really think it's relevant to this discussion, either. It may be possible to find that information at census.gov
Falcrist I guess we'll just have to disagree. Their argument wasn't about proportional representation but about a perceived lack of financial support from the administration and an implicit feeling of exploitation. I think you misunderstood the premise of the video.
Earnest Pettie I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to continue to disagree. The lack of financial support wasn't the premise. It was mentioned only once. The demographics of the school was mentioned throughout the entire video.
Reading through some of the comments, the majority of those who have something negative to say show that they didn't even comprehend the video, and are ranting without even acknowledging what these guys are speaking about. Ignorance at its finest level.
Maybe the commenters just don't agree and think it's a poorly put together argument. The only reason they claim that less blacks graduate is lack of financial aid, but they have no numbers proving this nor do they have numbers showing the financial aid given to other ethnicities. It's nice that they took the time to make parts rhyme, but they should've been more focused on facts instead of rhymes and metaphors.
I am NOT defending the negativity of these comments.But I (a black man) watched this twice and I also shared this video.All I can get out of this performance was anger.I am not going to say mean things but damn it; it leaves a dirty taste in my mouth. This video depreses and angers me.I live in New Jersey. Rutgers University(the flagship college of New Jersey) produces more black graduates that UCLA. Jersey is much smaller than Cali.What the F%#* is going on in the West Coast.I got more people in my bowling league that UCLA has black graduates. HOW THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? LA is the second biggest city in our country. California is the biggest state in the country. What the HELL man. Isn't UCLA in a Black neighborhood? WTF The biggest accomplishment for blacks in UCLA is Black Panthers getting shot and basketball championship. This angers the hell out of me. I am 3000 miles away from that place and I am embarrassed. FUCKING SINISTER WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA????
david stanley New Jersey is 14.7% black and Rutgers, New Brunswick is 7% black. California is 6.6% black and UCLA is 4%. The percentage of blacks at UCLA is closer to the state's percentage than at Rutgers, NB. New Jersey has a much high percentage of blacks and Rutgers, NB has more students than UCLA which explains graduating more blacks. The University of California has 9 campuses, plus California State University has 23 campuses. Black Californians have lots of choices.
"We're not asking for a handout, we're asking for a level playing field." Affirmative action doesn't fix years of prior poor school performance whether the reason was racism or otherwise. You just drop a person in a school unprepared, then, as expected, they drop out. The unexamined reality of "legacy" students skating to graduation while promising black affirmative action students fail, is that the slackers from elite families started out intelligent enough to slack their way through, while affirmative action students were bumped up to a school past their skill level. Meanwhile, Asian students with first-generation immigrant parents go directly into the most challenging STEM courses and graduate with flying colors.
Bull. UCLA can and should do more to identify African - American talented kids, from age 6 and up. Also, let's keep Afram kids IN school while they appeal decisions to throw them out. The system is geared towards the rich and the whites, always has been. That's fully changeable.
amandagirlygirl12 No, it really isn't (geared towards the whites). At least not the college system. You can make the argument that the public school system is (not that its completely accurate though), but the UC application doesn't include anything regarding race, other than for demographic purposes.
amandagirlygirl12 What about just TALENTED kids in general. Why do they have to be racially selective? What ever happened to equality? Why do other races have to take a backseat?
Melanie Elizabeth does this say what ever happened to equality? implying that at any point in this country equality existed? Man, it would be nice though, I imagine.
People have become anti-everything and complain about the divide by enforcing the divide even more. I believe gay's should have the same rights as everyone else and dont need to be considered "the gays" when referring to them because I am not considered part of a group refereed to as "the hetero's" do you see where I am going with that? I never said equality existed but aren't we trying to move forward and not back? Is making exceptions to or trying to let less white people in schools so more black people can go any different then when it was reverse not too long ago? I mean, if we are supposed to push equality, then why the exceptions?
"We've come too far to let history repeat itself". This video did more than you think. I live in Toronto and we're talking about it in my school. Very wise and eye opening. Thank you.
I think other factors should be considered before coming to a conclusion on the video. Factors that should be considered: In the Fall of 2013, the undergraduate class for UCLA is 34.8% Asian. 27.8% White. 18% Hispanic, and 3.8% Black. The most recent California census: 14.9% Asian. 61.6% White. 37.6% Hispanic. 7.2% Black. In other words, 55% of the "White" seats were taken by Asians. 53% of the "Hispanic" seats were taken by Asians. 48% of the "Black" seats were taken by Asians. It isn't the "White" folk that are keeping the "Black" folk down. It is the "Asians". If you actually look at the underlying statistics though, the Asians are dominating the admissions even with an admissions penalty, and the Blacks have an admissions bonus. In other words, if UCLA admissions were truly blind, there would be even more Asians and even less Blacks. People are raging at the wrong target. The path to UCLA does not begin at admissions. It begins at the home 18 years before admissions. So, who should take a more critical look? The people whose parents were fresh off the boat from Asia with no money, who don't speak English, opened up a grocery store, a food joint, or a dry cleaning facility and told their children for 18 straight years that they had to study harder to get into a good school and make something of themselves? Or, everybody could just stop pointing fingers. If some fresh off the boat Asian can sacrifice everything to make sure their child has a better life, so can any other ethnicity in one or two generations as long as they stop pointing fingers and start climbing the ladder.
You know, it's sad that a young man can't even make a video that focuses on a serious problem facing the country without so much negative (as well as ignorant and hateful) feedback. All I see when I read the comments below is a lot of people who AREN'T black (or African-American if you prefer) getting incredibly argumentative, defensive and outright ignorant because they don't like what he has to say. "I'm white and there's no such thing as white privilege because I say so! I'm Mexican and I managed to get by, so no one should complain about systemic racism; it's not a real problem! Statistics show that men of color are still being wildly discriminated against, but clearly the real issue here is that all black people are just self-entitled, wanting everything handed to them!" And I won't even get into the number of blatantly racist comments there are. Honestly, it's sad that people manage to be so ignorant even in this century. Just because a problem isn't affecting you personally doesn't mean that it's not a serious issue. Dismissing an injustice because you would prefer not to acknowledge the problem doesn't change the facts...
UCLA is 35% Asian and 18% Hispanic, with many of these students coming from families with similar humble upbringings (it's also 12% International). In fact, only 28% of its student body classifies itself as "White". Not to mention, its located in one of the most liberal cities in the U.S., in one of the most diverse states in the U.S. Maybe certain people should stop feeling sorry for themselves and stop looking to others for reasons for their shortcomings and begin looking at what's broken within their communities and their attitudes towards life.
It's funny how racism is easier being the strokes of a computer and the protection of a screen. I'm digging ya work...I'm a fan. Subscribed abd I'll be reposting all over
I think by reading some of these comments, I'm beginning to lose faith in humanity. But I think the negativity is good...it's sparking a discussion that is SO needed! - UCLA alumnus & RUclipsr
Asians are far more racist than Europeans. The Japanese, Chinese (from China), Thais, Vietnamese etc. Usually its skin colour based with the lighter skinned peoples looking down on the darker skinned ones. The opposite is Malaysia (Malay) with a constitution which discriminates against Chinese (and Indians).
ruclips.net/video/dsaoxyqBdAA/видео.htmlm14s Draco You need help dude I dont think theres a going back for you, you have been indoctrinated by the jews
Fredrik Sivertsen Generalising, yes. People don't behave according to their race but according to their culture. If you put your hand in a fire it will hurt, generally. Try it.
***** Hi. Where in my post did I ever claim that? My original post was referring to messages like the one below. THOSE are what's causing me to lose faith in humanity. "most blaks don't WANT to educate, and many of the ones who do...are just dumb, they got an average IQ of 65
Good thing the UC hired a Sociology professor that spent four years researching this very topic. What did he find you may ask? That 33% of black students wouldn't have gotten in if UCLA didn't change to "holistic" admissions. He found that asians and hispanics were actively discriminated against in order to admit more black kids. The truth must hurt. The playing field is still tilted in the favor of blacks and they still complain. I guess that's why Sy is a "studies" major. Couldn't hack it here in a real department.
This is an incredibly powerful piece of slam poetry. There are a lot of people on the comments who don't understand systemic injustice and hence don't understand the power of your words. Ignore them. You're an incredible artist.
This is so powerful (and the aggressive comments below are a testament to it). Thank you for sharing something that I'm too privileged to ever have to think about, and for doing it in such an unapologetic way. We need more of this.
Michelle Liu there are no politics... you have the grades to be competitive in your chosen major and you will get in... simple I agree with you that this video is complete BS.
Michelle Liu nope.. and that's exactly why the Chinese were suing Harvard. Even though Chinese and other asians are outscoring the rest of the applicants they cannot accept them all because they would have a 90% asian student body, however this is not the case with the blacks. They don't have enough qualified black applicants to even reach the maximum numbers of blacks that could be accepted... It's just the sad truth that not a lot of black youths are qualified to attend Universities such as UCLA and the majority of the ones that do only do because of their athletic talent.
"12% of the entire United States population is African American. Only 6% of California's population is African American. The Acceptance rate for African Americans at UCLA is 23%. For everyone else it averages at 20%. The numbers are low for the simple fact that there are not many African Americans applying to UCLA. If you were to think how many of that 6% are graduating high school, and looking to apply to a college; it would be less than 2%. So of course that number is astronomically low for admissions. Instead of looking at something as being racist, do research on your own and look at the obvious facts." quoting this guy, tired of this racism bullshit.
Is it there fault that African-Americans are more likely to be born in poverty? How would you perform academically if everyday you had to worry about whether you'd make it home from school or not and whether you were going to have dinner when you got there? And then, even if they get accepted, many of them can't even afford the tuition. So stop running around with your white privilege making racist comments and take a sociology course.
***** what they hell are you talking about? That was not related to the above comment in any way! I don't know if you know this but NO ONE can afford 30,000 dollars a year for college. The only people who can are the one per centers, and news flash, not all white people are in that one percent. So stop complaining and instead put one foot in front of the others, because we are all in the same boat.
I'm complaining about nothing. I'm not African-American. I've never been discriminated against because of my color. But that doesn't mean that I rag on people because they are. I know nobody can afford college, I'm there myself, but that doesn't mean that some people are more able to afford the loan payments better than others. And NO ONE is in the same boat; there's not two people in the world are going through the exact same situation, so who has the right to judge. And if you don't think racism is still a thing, chances are that you're one of the racist douchebags.
"I know nobody can afford college, I'm there myself" you realize you are saying that you are in the same situation as everyone else right? These comments don't have to do with race, stop bringing it up, its purely about statistics.
***** I'm not white so there goes your white privilege theory. Black people are handed the world but when you see things like "knockout" that's going on in Jersey City, NJ. You tend to wonder if they want to still have their social stigma with them.
beautiful. my teacher showed me this in class when we were talking about education. i was snapping and and "mmm'ing" people dont understand the true meaning behind this but i do and its amazing ur right we do need to make a change.
If they really want more black students, then they should start a petition for programs in the public education of lower income cities to help actually prepare kids for college. That way, not only would black people be helped, but other people who are less fortunate as well (anyone can be born into poverty, regardless of skin color.) UCLA should NOT lower its standards just to make the percentage statistic on a website look "better" or more "politically correct," all that will do is allow unprepared people into college, increasing the dropout rate.
And then as those unprepared people drop out, they are left with crippling student loan debt, spiraling them FARTHER into the cycle they can't get out of. All because they felt like going to college is a right for everyone, and not something that depends heavily on your academic merit.
I wonder what the number of black applicants to the college is. Adding that statistic to the video would have an even greater impact, I think. showing how many have been denied as well.
Loved the video, I truly understand! And stereotypes play a huge roll in how a person is seen and honestly it sounds as if some people are judging before they actually get to know a person. The thing is you don't know anyone's struggle until you actually sit down and have a conversation with them. There is talent throughout all races, however being black all we supposed to be good at is sports and so that's what people assume. No one speaks of the black person that actually works hard, studies, and maintains a relatively high GPA. All we get from the media and schools themselves are how great a sport is doing
I definitely agree with a lot of what he was talking about, but the truth of the matter is, you need to work hard. Point, blank, period. You want a full scholarship? Put in that work. You want people to show you respect, regardless of your skin tone? Put in that work. You want to not become another negative statistic that plagues the african american community? Put in that work. Do not let where you come from determine where you go. In regards to financial aid, that is something that definitely needs to be changed. But you need a good work ethic and a strong mentality to push through all the bullshit.
Anna Apfelstrudel Its really not. There will always be obstacles in your way, but if you keep letting those obstacles define you, then you wont go anywhere. I know so many people who came from nothing, had no parents, all in all a hard upbringing. And yes they were people of colour. If they were to let society continuously be an obstacle to their success, they would be no where. Take examples of world renowned neurosurgeon who was the first man (who happened to black) to separate conjoined twins, Ben Carson. He was raised by a single mother and had the possibility to grow up a thug and do nothing with his life. He chose not to go with the latter.
Many work hard to get to where they are today. Many work hard to prevent others from getting in their way. Its not always as simple as working hard. People on top like their elbow room and will keep others they have issues with from taking a dime or moving into their space. Either from something as simple minded as racism or a group that has been hurting being overlooked because they are too busy enjoying their resources instead of focusing on equal support. Unless hard work involves standing against these people and forcing them out of their nests or even just to ruffle their feathers enough to get them to change for the better...you'll be hard at work against a brick wall.
Anna Apfelstrudel Yep, you see it everywhere. In schools and the work world. It's politics. Status and money makes people dance. Kind of ridiculous don't you think?
HappyBivouac Yes thats exactly what I'm saying. Whether you like it or not, us minorities have to work 10x times harder while others dont. Its the world we live in. My point is that guess what? The world is unfair and racists and stereotypical and all that jazz, but making excuses for yourself, while it is completely true and not exaggerated, will not get you anywhere. The piece here is fantastic and I hope doors open up for this guy with this, but for the rest of them, you cannot sit idly just spewing out stats that apply to you and let it be an excuse for you to not work hard. Everybody comes from different circumstances but if we all let the bullshit in the world get to us, then every minority will never progress. I mean look at Asian people who are dominating schools here and there, but how many of them are CEOs of big companies? Isnt that bullshit too? But facts like that should not be a reason to let it hold them back or any other minority from reaching the top. Even if it means working that much harder than someone else
Well said my brother! The message is about the university pretending to be diverse, heavily advertising diversity when it is not true. It is not about lowering standards for blacks. It is about being about what you said you are about. UCLA needs to look for these qualified people of color and encourage them to apply to the school. Instead of only seeking out athletes of color to play sports. In addition to trying to recruit students of color they need to make sure they, use their money wisely (which I am sure they have enough of to provided decent financial aid.) A lot of schools give a great package the first year and then drastically change the amount of aid given the next year. I could talk about Affirmative action but I do not have the time. At the end of the day private schools are a business, they will seek and and pay for black athletes because they make a lot of money off of them, but in the same token will not extend this hand to non-atletes blacks. In other words black males are a tool for money.
Sy, such a powerful video! I watch the views go up 25,000 an hour with people all over the world. What outreach. Please don't be discouraged by the negative comments. They only expose their own prejudices, racism, and complete lack of education. To say work harder proves they think a level playing field can be achieved in college, or before high school graduation, when the game started in elementary school. I too IN MY YOUTH thought "work harder" but then I read three books that changed my life. Horace's Compromise - Theodore R. Sizer The Shopping Mall High School - Arthur G. Powell, Eleanor Farran, David K. Cohen Savage Inequalities - Jonathan Kozol Some are out of print so buy them, cheap, before they're gone. Knowledge is power! While these people are shooting blanks, make your pen an even mightier sword. I pray you see this comment.
As an admittedly privileged old white Bruin from the days when Lew Alcindor used to tower above the crowds (and before he changed his name), I have forgotten much but I can still do arithmetic. Like this: 3.8/(27+3.8) = .1233, meaning that out of the total current UCLA population of (black + white) about 12% of them are black. Which matches the general population percentages that I recall from the days when those were the major groups, with Asian and Hispanic in single digits. Lots has changed since then, but that overall b/w population ratio looks very much the same (though I doubt that the percent of black Bruins was that high in the 60s). But maybe my memory is failing again.
Had this come out circa 2007-2009 I would have loved to do something like this. Edinboro University of PA is no different. From strategically moving people of color out of positions to SGA positioning itself to not support or allocate funds to African American organizations, I know what he speaks of and how they feel far too well.
Everyone has been posting this video glorifying it. The student's delivery is undoubtably fantastic, however, I do not support all the statements he made. 1. he uses the lack of financial aid as a reason for african american drop outs. I received the same financial aid package that he did (the best one available). I made the choice to take out the loans to make up the difference and continue my education. 2) He mentions the low statistic of african americans being admitted. However, he did not mention how many actually apply. How are you supposed to admit students who do not apply to the university. In addition, he only mentioned the number of african american males. Why not include females? 3) He gives an example of the business school wasting money on plane trips and hotel stays. However, the business school is a PRIVATE institution that is not associated with UCLA undergrad and has private funds. 4) Finally he mentions that african americans do not want pity, they just want "a level playing field". If they want a level playing field, then the university should require them to have the same GPA and SATs. I guess I have taken this so personally because I came from a lower income situation, and a school that did not prepare me for the difficult road UCLA laid before me. I had the same resources (financial aid, free tutoring) that african americans and other races had. I had the drive and fought through very difficult curriculum to come out on top. I worked long hours at UCLA catering to make enough money to pay for groceries, resulting in long, late night study sessions, and still managed to pass my classes. I believe the problem begins in high schools not preparing students for college, and action needs to begin there before prestigious universities are attacked for being racist and having high standards of their students. I do not blame the university for challenging me, and I am PROUD to have succeeded in something that I never thought I could. I am PROUD to be a BRUIN ALUMNI. And I hope one day they can be too.
"The differences in total SAT scores by ethnicity was most extreme between Asian students (who had an average total score of 1623 out of a possible 2400) and black students (who averaged 1276, a four-point drop). Puerto Rican students averaged 1345. The national average was 1509. Top score is 800 in each of the three SAT sections." This is just the raw truth. Earn your way into the university don't pull the race card.
I like the video, but I really don't agree completely with the message. I'm a huge advocate for Education and Equality, but just because you are a certain race doesn't mean you should get any more special benefits. If you want to get into UCLA, get stellar grades and test scores, do something outstanding in High School, be different. If you're already in UCLA, get passing grades and get your degree. UCLA is extremely competitive enough as it is with a countless number of highly qualified candidates. If you're Black or not, if you don't put in the work, don't expect someone to hand you the key. If you're fighting for equality, don't do exactly what you're fighting against.
Tam, that is so easy to say, but many racial minorities come from impoverished neighborhoods where their schools do not provide the proper access to bountiful resources to support their academic pursuits. They often don't have guidance counselors or teachers who know enough about success to help them navigate the path towards success. The advantage that the privilege have is that they often are surrounded by the more forward-thinking people that they can afford to have access to. Their parents are likely in law, medicine, corporations, family-owned businesses, etc. They've been there. They know what they went through to get to where they are. They will guide their children to follow in their footsteps or dreams without having to reinvent the wheel. What levels the playing field more is when you're surrounded by the right people and right resources that can support you.
Melody Lam Melody, I agree with what you're saying. I should have thought more into my comment, but that is basically what affirmative action is all about. Providing this kind of justice. We all have our own opinions and I do agree that usually white males have a greater opportunity to succeed than racial minorities because of your statements listed. I want to be as equal as I can in saying this next statement, but if I was the CEO of a company and saw a White man with higher qualifications and will fit better with my team than another man who is a minority, I would pick the one best suited for my company regardless of race.
Everyone needs to take a step back and realize this is not an issue of race. This is an issue of income inequality. In the simplest terms possible: if you're family is poor when you grow up then there's a much higher chance you will have to drop out of school to get a job to help support your family. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that there is a large population of minorities, particularly African-Americans (in response to this video) who are still feeling the effects of racism from four decades ago. Let's face another fact: UCLA is a business. All colleges and universities are. You are either paying for your tuition now with cash and credit or you're paying in the future by becoming a successful Alumnus and making the school look good (these would be the students getting financial aid). They aren't choosing students based on race they are choosing them based on academics and, to some degree, your family. Can it really be a surprise that there are far fewer African American students who don't play sports? Now I'm not saying you shouldn't be outraged. In fact I'm saying the opposite, but you need to be outraged at the right group. Don't blame the school blame the system that made so many young African Americans drop out of school to help support their families. Income inequality is the real culprit here and we all need to realize that.
Summary of the video: there aren't enough black students at this university in our opinions. Tuition is expensive. We need preferential treatment so that we can get something for free based on skin color. I don't understand videos like this...what difference does race make? If they can't afford that particular school or maintain the academic standards necessary to graduate, then maybe they shouldn't go to that particular school. All this video is doing pitting blacks against whites again. UCLA is not their only hope for a college education. Playing the race card is shameful. If I were a minority, I would be insulted by affirmative action. If I knew that a major factor for my admission into a school was based on the fact that they needed more of "my people" to fulfill their PR stunt diversity quota or I got scholarship money because my skin color indicated that I was too poor to pay for school myself, I'd be highly offended. Financial aid should be awarded based on socioeconomic status, not race. Advocates of affirmative action are essentially saying "I want to live in a colorblind society unless i can use my color to my advantage in which case i am *insert "minority" status here*, please give me preferential treatment when it comes to college admission and free money" Just to reiterate before somebody decides to call me racist: I believe giving special consideration based on ANY skin color is wrong (be it preferential or otherwise). Socioeconomic status should be the ONLY non-merit based factor when considering college admission and scholarship awards. It makes no sense to me that the hispanic female that is in two of my classes that has a far lower GPA than I, is getting a full ride from my university when I, a white male, gets absolutely no scholarship money even though I am going into my senior year with a 4.0 GPA. I guess I'm privileged enough being white and all...
***** First, I do agree with you that sports ability should not be as important as it is. If you had read a little more carefully you would have comprehended the part where I said "the only non-merit based factor" - last time I checked, a perfect GPA is something of merit and therefore would be covered under the merit based opportunity consideration. Busting my balls because I hammered out a quick comment without proofreading it? Excuse me. I do apologize and I commend you for having nothing really relevant to say so you instead nitpick at non-essential elements of my argument. Have you gotten your official Grammar Nazi Swastika bumper sticker in the mail yet? Rhetoric aside, the relevant takeaway here is this: giving special consideration to those of "minority" status does nothing to promote equality. If there is a black male who (as you say, has a lower socioeconomic status because of the correlation between socioeconomic status and skin color - something I agree is true), then I am all for giving him scholarship money before it is awarded to someone of a higher socioeconomic level. But I do not agree with giving special consideration to individuals based on *race* alone. The race option needs to be removed from college scholarship applications. If the imperative for equality is that people should not be treated differently than others because of their skin color, then it should work both ways. No being treated differently whether its special treatment or discriminatory treatment.
This is an incredible piece I love what you bring up about the money being spent on five star hotel suites and first class plane tickets. Keep up the amazing work
This video is powerful. Statistics presented on this video shocked me, 35/48 of the enrolled male African American freshmen will be on track of graduation, 3.3% of the males enrolled in UCLA were African American, and more national championships than male African American freshmen (109 vs. 48). It feels like many of them are enrolled there for the sake of competing for a national championship rather having an education as evident for several athletes wanting to go pro instead of finishing school. Sy Stokes, this verified my notion that UCLA is not diverse enough based on the evidence of statistics you provide and also my first and only visit at UCLA as a high school senior, seeing the majority of African Americans as athletes and the majority of the students I saw were white and Asian. That kind of scenery was similar to UC Irvine, where I went as an undergrad. Honestly Sy, you will be attacked by people anywhere from the internet to the environment where you are when you express your opinions and spread your message. Sy, you will see that I will not include my other thoughts since I am anxious and afraid to be blasted by some people here on this touchy subject. African Americans are still oppressed even indirectly too. And by the way, I am Filipino and I feel that there are some aspects that I do not understand about UCLA, some untold stories that I did not see and pay attention. Best of luck for this message to spread, and take care.
Asians are a smaller minority than Black in the US yet Asians are over-represented in university especially top universities. Its actually harder for an Asian to get into a top university than an equally qualified black or white because of affirmative action. If affirmative action was removed from the ivies, it would be full of Asian. Being a minority is a disadvantage, but you must turn it into a strength. There are countless cases of Asian immigrants who come to the US poor and speaking zero English (my family for example). I grew up in the ghettos of North Philly yet my siblings, cousins and I all graduated from ivy league universities but our parents can barely speak English. I am not saying this to toot my own horn, but to try to offer a solution on how the to improve the situation. The reason Asians immigrants perform well is because of strong family support and a culture with high expectations. Asian parents work hard and they expect their children to work hard too. I did not have a tiger mom/dad because they were too busy putting food on the table by selling Chinese food on the streets, but I had a community of aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins that perpetuate the values of hard work in job and academics. Underperforming is not an option. I had to study and work hard to get out of the ghettos. The Black community does not need affirmative action. What is needed is a strengthening of culture and family. No policies or laws can improve the situation without these two fundamental values. Culture is slow and hard to change. However you don't need to change the culture, just change yourself and instill those values in your kids and things can improve in one generation.
My story is the same as yours but we have different conclusions. The systemic racism and discrimination that exists in America as real tangible obstacles to black Americans, particularly men, complicates the matter beyond that of personal drive and community support. I enjoyed the daily privilege of people not automatically assuming I was possibly violent or criminal or both. I enjoyed the daily privilege of people assuming I was smart almost everywhere I went, rather than assuming underperformance and low standards. That has made a difference in the opportunities that were open to me.
Ei-Nyung Choi I do acknowledge that negative stereotypes and preconceptions are a big hinderance. However what is cause and what affect? The more someone tries to put me down or say I cant do something, the harder I try. Detractors are also your best advocates. Strengthen the black family and culture first. Without that affirmative action will not have much of an impact. I'm actually pro affirmative action. I do not want to attend a university where everyone is Asian because university is not just about learning about yourself but about the world.
An example of how broken the black culture is is when a successful black person is ostracized by his/her own community for being too white or selling out because of his/her success
I agree with you Mr. To. Family expectations play a huge role in economic, social and educational advancement. I am African American and my forebears have been in the U.S. since slavery - I think. Black folk have had to deconstruct some cultural 'ticks' specific to this country, unlike immigrant groups or White brothers and sisters. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Blacks made inroads in job opportunities, educational advancement, home ownership, politics and business development. Affirmative action for clerical workers, trades people, college and professional school admissions, etc. is singularly responsible for that progress. So why does it take us so long to completely overcome? That's really what other groups really want to know, yes? The 'peculiar institution' of slavery and its remnants, 'Jim Crow' and racism (much the same thing, in some respects), insisted de facto and de jure bullets be levied for every single step we have taken till now. And the profound psychological damage, dare I mention it, individually and collectively, helps explain so much. A writ of particulars is redundant. But it's safe to say the majority of Black folk just haven't gotten over it. Many Whites and others, some Black folk too, want us to. And many White brethren say they aren't responsible. No one's responsible, or so it seems. "Move on" - such a familiar refrain. Think people. Aren't we asking the impossible if no one acknowledges something horrific happened. How is this justice? Say what happened and make it right. If you believe in God, we'll have to account when eternity beckons. What would you say - with a straight face?
True, the demographics are unsettling, and there is still economic injustice at UCLA. But I am not sure exactly what you want your audience to do about it. Suggestions: 1) Correct your factual errors (enumerated by many who have commented here) and upload a corrected video. 2) Tell us less about your attitude and more about what your specific plan of action is, and what we can do to help. 3) Celebrate the community by starting an inclusive African-American cultural theme house on the UCLA campus, like Ujamaa House at Stanford, which, when I lived there for two years during my undergraduate years, presented inspiring programs with luminaries such as James Baldwin, and helped many students to embrace diversity. 4) Get financing for your movement by involving black alumni. 5) Help UCLA to recruit more African-American students who are talented in areas other than sports. All the best to you, and don't let the numbers discourage you.
I'll translate this for anyone who doesn't quite get the deepness of such poetry "we are consistantly too stupid to do any research and want to ignore any of the facts or circumstances that explain why the statistics are the way they are, so instead we'll just assume it's those damn whites who are biologicaly predisposed to racism and demand you give us money and make the courses easier for us or we'll tell mommy"
If you look at the statistics, of course it's going to make sense for there to be a small population of blacks at UCLA. A majority of the people that apply and go to UCLA are CA residents. In 2011, only 6.6% of the CA was black. And obviously, not all of that 6.6% was college age. And obviously, not all of those college age black kids are going to apply to UCLA. Chances are, not a lot of blacks even applied to UCLA, therefore making it even more difficult to admit more blacks into UCLA. There's also the issue of money. They might have been accepted but couldn't afford it, like a large part of the population (all races).
If you can see that there is a problem in the way wealth is distributed among black people. Like the fact that they're paid half what white men are paid. Then you can get the message of this video. The school rather spend money on 1st class tickets than helping intelligent students that can't pay for university.
Yeah, that's a little unnecessary. But financial aid is an issue for everyone that can't afford college. But coming back and watching this makes me even angrier than before. In fall 2015, 5680 enrolled, but only 954 were out of state and 643 were international. That means about 3/4s of the enrolled were from CA. So again, do the math. I'm just going to say the college-age black population in California is like 1/5 of the total black population there so...IDK
lol, I couldn't afford Imperial College London which I fit into a lot better and which is ranked a bit above Berkeley and LA and chose to go to LA because of that, and LA gave me NO aid, it was just cheaper than forking out $36k in tuition to study there compared to $12k here. Now you guys are complaining you don't get FREE rides just because you got accepted when thousands of others who chose UCLA over unis that may rank higher or even fit them better because of cost get nothing? How ungrateful, attend a uni that's not as prestigious if you don't get a scholarship, UCLA could always take a student that is more qualified that is willing to pay for it. After all, if you were good enough to attend UCLA, tons of universities should be willing to PAY YOU to attend them. (don't get me wrong, UCLA is among the top 5 in the world in my major (math/applied math) and is among the top 5, 10, 15 or 20 in the world in most rankings, it's one of the best universities out there and along with Caltech it powers the research and academia going on in SoCal)
oh I know I know! We need to raise the bar for whites and asians and lower the bar for African Americans. And then if that doesn't 'level the playing field' we can just make college more expensive for whites and asians only. Or we can acknowledge that races are different and accept that we are better at different things.
Sy- I can appreciate where you are coming from- but I believe "affirmative action" should be based on ECONOMICS not "race". I knew plenty of white underprivileged children who were growing up in POVERTY who never had a chance. Once in higher education, I realized the vast majority of minorities that made it already came from privileged backgrounds so any "special" consideration honestly just doesn't make sense, only to serve to instigate animosity, division and hate. I for one HATE that I had to feel people may have viewed me as having special consideration because of race when I BUSTED MY ASS in school, top 5% class, participated in student gov, clubs, honors & sports but then had to fight to be taken seriously in higher ed.
this is very poetic and all, but the reality is that people accepted into schools due to affirmative action underperform academically. based on the demographics of california and the acceptance rates of black students being higher than the rest, UCLA is definitely NOT going out of their way to reject black applicants. maybe i'm misunderstanding AA entirely, but what is so uneven about the playing field? hell, some of the smartest kids i've ever met were poor black kids, and i've seen plenty of poor asians and whites get into the best schools. my parents are immigrants. i grew up dirt poor, but i managed to work my ass off in high school to get into a decent school that offered me great financial aid, even with AA working AGAINST me. why can't all blacks/hispanics do the same? also, if you're all so concerned with racism, why is okay that hardworking asian students from poor backgrounds are hurt the worst by AA? america is not a fair place. whites are the status quo, and everyone else has to deal with that. but remember, this is not a challenge that is exclusive to blacks/hispanics. you do not need special treatment in order to succeed. AA is the epitome of racism. it not only devalues your degree, but points to an inherent inferiority in intelligence. college matriculation should be a meritocracy. stop perpetuating this cult of victimization. make something of yourselves. change the status quo through your own merit. there is no big lie. there is no system. the universe is indifferent.
There's a lot of ignorance in the comments section--which I expected. White people like to think that Black under-achievement exists in some type of vacuum, and ignore historical factors, institutional factors, socioeconomic factors, judicial factors, and emotional factors. They often think that we are crazy and are creating our own problems. The fact that I am an intelligent, talented, educated, attractive black man has NOT stopped me from enduring indignities such as police scrutiny, racist employers, racist landlords, and even difficulties in the dating arena (I am now happily dating a Japanese-American woman). This shit is REAL. The point is that it doesn't matter who you are, what you're capable of, or how you contribute to society, if you're black you're BLACK, and that's how people see you, and they will make judgements based on that fact--despite centuries of Anglo-borne violence, which continues to this day, it is US that are still branded as scourges of the earth. There are always segments of any community that need to get their own shit together, but white people in particular need to get off their soap boxes and realize that they are creating a majority of the problems and attitudes that, in this "colorblind" day and age, continue to contribute to the oppression of people who want nothing more than to live decent, happy lives, like anyone else. I'm SO sick of these stupid fucking people, who won't take the time to read some history, make their own connections, and LISTEN to what the people in the trenches are telling them.
UCLA is not a racist school, it takes in students WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE RACE. In fact, being black DOES help you getting into school. I'm not going to comment whether or not affirmative action is good or bad, (however, I will mention my african american friends on the same caliber as me got into northwestern, brown, and yale full ride while I struggled to even get waitlisted on notre dame as an asian). UCLA doesn't not follow affirmative action, but if you get butthurt over that, I scoff at you because I feel betrayed. If there's any racism in my opinion, it's the affirmative action, but like I said, that's my opinion, not a fact.
***** How many do you even expect to get in? Blacks only make up 10% of the population of course there isn't going to be a large number of them graduating.
***** Don't blame it on UCLA that they make up 65% of the prison population. If anything...maybe that's the problem and the reason why there's only 3.3% at UCLA. The parents should focus more on steering them towards college preparation than the penitentiary. Can't play the race card on everything when admissions to UCLA don't even use race as a factor.
***** so what we are supposed to help them because they are black? that shit ended years ago, try not pulling a damn race card for once. do jews in Germany pull the jew card? Stop looking for hand outs get off your ass and make it happen, simple as that. im 22 years old make 20/hr im dropping 8k alone to fix my teeth beacuuse i was a dumb kid who just didnt geive a fuck. im also dropping a good 100k plus on my education to better myself, guess how much aid i qualify for? ill give you a hint its %0. i dont come from a rich family im paying for it all, its called ambition. you want something go get it, its not going to fall on your damn lap.
I don't often stop midway through whatever passing thought I was involved in while browsing through my various social media while a video on RUclips plays in the background. This video made me sit up in my chair and shut all other tabs down. This video made me *STOP* midstride to _listen_ Poetry and poetic language are often lost on me since I find substance far more powerful than words alone, this is a video with both. If these numbers are accurate (and I'd expect they would be) then it's time to step up as white privileged motherfuckers and fight for the equality we obviously have been lacking in this country. Wow.
You know, for being white, I haven't really run into a lot of those privileges people say we have. Especially considering growing up in poverty, you learn that everyone suffers the same down here.
I couldn't have said it any better. The unequal educational opportunities in this country are going to swallow it whole if we don't do something now. I truly think my calling to do something about it is to be a teacher, and be the best damn teacher I can be for ALL my students, White, Black, Asian, Native American, no matter the race or background, I am going to do my damndest.
Robert, before you go falling for any well written speech you listen to, take a look at statistical data before making up your mind: www.admissions.ucla.edu/campusprofile.htm if THAT'S racist, then I don't know what racism is.
Abendschein then you haven't been around much. i am white and i live in a mostly black and latino neighborhood. i'm not rich or 'privileged' in the economic sense, but i experience 'white privilege' on a daily basis. but that's because i have my eyes open and people trust me enough to share their daily struggles w/ me.
They had a message to spread, and I think the way they spread it was pretty good. Instead of rioting or striking, they put their video on the internet. The numbers are pretty low, though. They shouldn't be judged for calling attention to an issue, regardless of whose fault it is.
Rog Poll Constitution hating? Definitely leftist Extremist? Fascist? You mean like big government National Socialist where the an individual's opinion doesn't matter and you can be killed for having a different opinion because the constitution doesn't matter? That's supposed to fall under conservatism? I guess I do have to imagine that.
"no snowflake ever feels responsible in an avalanche" damnnnnn. well said.
+Michelle Liu The same infantile mind that believes affirmative action is racism. Thank you for your meaningless input.
btw: affirmative action also refers to gender. White females are the greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action in history period.
+Michelle Liu
aside from that, (yes I'm still going because you are misinformed) affirmative action lowers it's standards for nobody. look it up.
whites make up 60% of the population, this includes hispanic whites. whites receive 69% of the scholarship money available, making them *overrepresented*, or *overcompensated*. If anything, affirmative action makes up a small factor in colleges admissions. obviously if 43,000 students attend UCLA and black students only represent a 3 digit number, something is staggeringly unfair or unequal in the college admissions process or school funds. you call me racist yet you don't realize the irony of "have fun being doubted" wherever I go or whatever you said. No race is naturally stupid or naturally smart. your race does not determine your intelligence. They would doubt my intelligence due to my skin color, but the fault is with affirmative action, not their thought process? check yourself before you wreck yourself ms.Liu.
+Michelle Liu and 1 more thing. A black person, or black sounding person, is 50% less likely to get a callback for a job they are already qualified for. This is a subconscious act by primarily white business owners. Affirmative action is also meant to derail this occurrence. I'm tempted to curse you out. But that's mean and it doesn't solve any problems. So I'll put to you like this: anybody can be an asshole to anybody. However, that does not make it oppressive.
+Michelle Liu I keep reading your comments over & over and I can't help but noticing how everything you say is dead wrong. How are you going to tell me to leave due to this "reverse racism" because you think I don't know what it is? You think aa is rr, and because I support it, that I am an rr, yet I am out of place commenting on an aa video? This is YOUR logic by the way. Not mine. and you say that white females have not been the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action, yet they are. You're slipping. And I'm the one with supporting a bullshit policy? You really thought you were doing something when you told me to have a nice life. Wallow in your ignorance little girl. This is the big leagues. You can only hope to ascend to this level of consciousness.
+Michelle Liu and liberal? you think I'm liberal. That's a joke. Political parties are for control freaks and rich people. I am neither, therefore I identify with none.
Most people who don't agree with this have never felt the oppression the students have experienced.
When you have people of a certain "group" (race, ethnicity, nationality, religion) not attending school enough and not graduating enough, the problem is on a deep, societal level. A level that people need to give a shit about. When we can finally say that nobody is ever treated any differently or facing different expectations because of his/her skin color, THEN we can say we've made progress. Simply "requiring" more people of a certain race to graduate isn't gonna do shit. We have to rework society so that everyone has an equal chance to do what is good for them. Because right now society is ruled by rich white people and the flow of people's lives is controlled by rich white people. Then anyone who isn't a rich white person has to go through life being kept down and with warped expectations. So it doesn't matter if we say "such and such percentage of a student body should be black" because we're still fundamentally fucked as a people. We still have a long way to go.
AMEN.
"We're not asking for a handout, we're asking for a level playing field
Those with less opportunity are fighting for their position trying to find their place
But those with privilege are hitting triples when they were already born on third base"
YES.
DocDOoM1979 I hope you're not blaming blacks for that.. sports is all people of color have to get anywhere sometimes. Or to stay away from the negatives, its like a safe haven. It's not their faults most whites don't play on a level as high or aren't as naturally talents in those sports. Honestly, people of color mainly play Football and Basketball.. some are in Baseball and soccer. Everything else is majority white.
alright so CLEARLY you both don't know much about rhetorical allegories when it comes to spoken word/literature. Sy's use of "level playing field" and "those with privilege are hitting triples when they were already born on third base" are NOT to be taken literally--he's referring to balancing equity within our socio-economic statuses and accessibility to resources and opportunities. These inequalities exist not because of the color of people's skins but because they're deeply embedded flaws within our society that need to be changed.
My 1st year at UCLA was the last year of affirmative action (1998), and by the time I graduated it was a very very different campus. About 50% less Black students, 50% less Latin@ students, 30+% less of Southeast Asian groups, etc. And of course, the composition of the athlete students didn't changed, we noticed it then & I see you all still notice it now. It saddens me to see some negative comments below attached to names/faces that appear to be people of color, that you don't comprehend what is going on at the school & higher education in general, resoures at home & in the community, how quality of school and even what's offered in them varies greatly and Yes does matter tremendously in someone's educational experience. Stand strong young brothers.
Y'all are so ignorant in these comments, it says in the description box that he is cherokee,black & Chinese. Y'all so focused on his skin tone and ignoring everything that he is saying. Overall this is a good video and he's speaking the truth. That's why y'all mad.
"Y'all just mad cuz he speaking the truth" that is so fallacious, and a feeble attempt at a cop out. No, we can disagree with something and it isn't simply cuz we're "mad at the truth." I have no reason to be mad, I attend ucla. Also my closest friends there are all black, and I'm a minority myself. And yes, technically this video is true. But the statistics were given without much context and the argument that is being implicitly assumed is absurd. Are you suggesting that ucla should make it easier on students of color? Or that when an admissions officer looks at a black person's application, they're thinking "oh this persons black I don't wanna admit him." Please. That is silly. Let's stop blaming other people, subjecting each other to this jail cell of victim hood, and look at the real issue: the communities. It starts with the elementary schools, the lack of positive academic culture in predominately black and Hispanic schools.
This is a fantastic video. I appreciate the poetry and the message.
+Jenn Shinaberger ohh stfu
+Spicy Kielbasa aww you mad? STFU
I am a graduate student in the Chemistry Department at UCLA, and I can honestly say we have very, very, low numbers as far as any diversity goes. wow. I re-posted this video on my facebook wall several months ago and got tons of racist comments on it. Then I looked on here because I was showing this video to my brother, and read all the nasty, super-racist and ignorant comments on here. It is crazy how on the street, no one would say anything as nasty as what they are saying on here. But on the internet, you can hide behind whatever persona you choose to put on, and hide behind your computer screen. This video is definitely needed, and I wanted to THANK YOU guys for putting it together. My only critique is that it does not represent the WOMEN of color who are so very under-represented at UCLA. I just wanted to contrast some of these comments, and let you all know that there ARE student / teachers at UCLA who agree with you, and who are listening. So keep talking. Please keep talking.
I'm not leaving a long comment like everyone seems to be doing. All I have to say is this is simply beautiful. I respect what this video is for. And I respect them.
I attend UCLA & I'm SO glad this video exists. Our black brothers and sisters are so underrepresented here & we get thrashed for simply stating the fact that we are underrepresented and when we call out the mico-aggressive racism that happens on this God damn campus every single day. Its so easy to feel lost and unwanted here. I'm even considering transferring because the racism I've faced here at this school are unlike anything I've ever faced. To anyone finding the idea of a "diverse" campus attractive, do not come to UCLA. the only thing diverse about UCLA is the different places the people come from, but all that makes up this campus is asian and white. & a grand majority of them have some sort of hatred, aggression, or racist feelings/thoughts towards blacks, Not all of them of course. There are some amazing people at UCLA, don;t get me wrong. But they're buried behind all of the hating ones. I have yet to say I am proud to go to the school. Proud to be a Bruin. Not when my people and I are viewed as less than or only used for our skin colour to fill numbers, and our athletic ability. LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD. WE ARE BEING OPPRESSED. WE ARE WORTH MORE THAN TO FULFILL THE "TOKEN BLACK" POPULATION PERCENTAGE OF THIS PREDOMINATELY WHITE CAMPUS. BLACK BRUIN LIVES MATTER. & RIP to EzMoney
I've always been aware that minorities are underrepresented at many universities, and I've also always been of the opinion that it's absurd how lopsided the focus is between academia and athletics. But I never really considered the implications of putting the two together until that 65% statistic. Wow. I can only imagine it would be downright insulting - to say that the only thing one's race is good for is running down a field instead of perhaps running for an office.
I have a question to the makers of this video - what's the equivalent percentage of white freshmen who were athletes? I'm willing to bet it's substantially lower.
Yeah yeah yeah, watch one video and you're automatically convinced that if black people aren't in college it's because of race... maybe it's because black people live in a culture that puts least emphasis on academics? ever thought of that? plus he said that ucla black students have a 75% grad rate... know what the national average is? 40%. affirmative action doesn't make the playing field level, but hey, who cares?
Ovoid Magnetar the hell are you talking about? black people live in a culture that puts them at a disadvantage for EVERYTHING. know you're culture. This is not about black culture. this is white culture, and everyone is living in it.
Ovoid Magnetar The Average Graduation Rate is 90% at UCLA. 75% is a significant drop.
What prevents an athlete with a full ride to UCLA from becoming a computer scientist? The students CHOOSE to drop out for NBA contracts, and they CHOOSE to peruse an "athletic training" degree. They are lazy and do not study.
Max Parks the reason why these Blacks who play sports got accepted to UCLA is because of their athleticism, most likely not because of their GPA although it could be both. However, their high school GPA probably did not fall in the average GPA accepted, which means academically these Black students are already under performing compared to other UCLA students. Which means chances are they will not survive academically in UCLA. So yes they got accepted to play sports, and they took that offer instead of going to a less competitive school. Whose fault is that? Go to a school that your GPA actually will get you accepted in there, and you will not struggle to graduate. Rely on your extracurricular to go to a school that you don't actually deserve to go to, and you will not survive. It's basic logics. Tbh I do sports. It's very hard to be competitive in sports and do well academically as well simply because you don't have time or energy to be competitive for both.
U r amazing. That is seriously amazing what u just said. WE ALL HAVE TO HELP THESE PEOPLE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. thank u so much for this ❤️❤️
Great video! A very eloquent spin on a nationwide issue. Keep it up!
*future single mother speaks*
Wow. This is insane.
I LOVE THUS VIDEO! ❤ STAND PROUD MY DARK BROTHER. UNITY IS SCARY FOR YOUR ENEMIES 😊
Skin colour ≠ diversity. When are these people going to understand that 5 white guys from five different countries in Europe are more diverse than, say, 5 urban black kids from Brooklyn?
exactamundo, my friend.
Really dismayed to see some of these overtly racist comments. As a graduate from the UC system, I think that the under-representation of minority students was a serious disservice to my education. Thank you for putting up this video - I whole heartedly agree with the sentiment.
this is so powerful and profound. I can feel the emotion, just amazing
This clip is beautiful.
Powerful.
Directly true.
This average middle-class white guy stands and applauds.
Please let me know if i can ever do more to support in word or deed.
We're all equal, some just need to be more equal than others.
>can't pass test
>make it easier so you can pass
By that logic just eliminate stairs and make ramps everywhere instead, and make the requirements for a driver's license so low that you can total your car and still pass. Because it's discrimination against the blind and pre-schoolers to not let them drive a car.
If you're really going to say that we are all equal, when racial inequality is STILL so prevalent in today's society then I've got news for you. We are not "all equal" and comparing racial inequality to not allowing someone who cannot drive to drive, or talking about discrimination against the blind and children in comparison is not only COMPLETELY OFF THE MARK but amazingly ignorant. So hats off to you sir, for making yourself out to be the fool.
Last weekend this video had about 39,000 hits now it's gone viral and nearing 800,000. The students and alumni are mobilizing. The detractors will never get the point unless a class action is filed against the system. Most detractors posting here don't know the long history of struggle Black Bruins have waged for parity and equal opportunity which is the bottom line here from a legal perspective.
TheLittleMod I wouldn't so much say that racial inequality is "so prevalent" as much as that it's more widely noticed and noted, and that the few who still discriminate are just louder. So, at the very least, I think we're on a good trend.
There are underlying reasons why minorities have not been passing exams at a similar level to those who are privileged. It's not that they are innately less intelligent. In some respects, they already are. This is a case where talent can only take you so far before you need more to supplement it in order for that talent to continue to thrive. The privileged have been able to afford resources to support and supplement their children's education, but those who are less so are likely unable to. They often end up in schools where the classrooms are so packed that teachers cannot devote 1-on-1 attention to each student. Some of them may attend schools where the textbooks are out of date. That's why there is a gap in academic achievement. Often times, they come from families who have not completed college, so they themselves are not surrounded by people who can help them navigate the path towards success.
Melody Lam You just made an argument for more affirmative action for the poor, not for the minority. That argument relies on an assumption that all minorities are given unequal status from birth, but that's not the case. But besides that, your reasoning definitely makes a good case.
Brilliant. So important, thank you.
I would like to see the numbers of black students that applied to UCLA vs. the number accepted. If the majority of black students were accepted, that is a good thing. Its not UCLA's fault that a few number of black students applied.
You're right. It's not fair. To be black in America is an added challenge on top of everything else. But if its a level playing field that you want? You're not going to get it. To the black men in America, you are the level-er of this field. Not the government, not the institutions, not the businesses. They cannot level the field for you. Join together alongside your fellow black brothers. Support, challenge and discipline one another to fight against the odds with your own strength.
Even joining together wont give us the"privileges" that other get. Its a daily struggle for anyone of us to make it through the challenge of "society." Being an educated black man or woman is difficult in both the work force and educational environment. its all talk of a fraudulent reputation in the raciest corporation to use us as a statistic. In my own experiences as a black male, I've been turned down from schools and job opportunists because of the color of my skin to someone less educated and qualified. To say that joining forces will create a change wont.
Alex Mays "I've been turned down from schools and job opportunists[sic] because of the color of my skin" You keep telling yourself that. See if it gets you anywhere.
Alex Mays
Or it could be because you are a moron, as your grammar might indicate.
Currently a first year at UCLA, and i can personally vouch for these statistics. Although the resources available are amazing, they cannot supplant the feeling of misplacement.
I watch this every time my resolve weakens to remind myself i am not alone.
13% of the US population is black. Only 66% of blacks graduate high school. Not all of the black high school graduates will want to go on to college. So, what percentage of the enrollment would you expect to be black?
I'm curious to know if they looked at the HS graduation rates and continuation of higher education of whites vs. blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians. This is a powerful video with a needed message, but I don't think the problem is solely the UCLA admittance program. I can see the bigger problem being the amount of diverse students getting quality education, graduating, and pursuing higher education. Money is an issue for every student despite race, but that's a whole other educational problem.
YESS!!! This is the truth that needs to be spoken!!! Good job.... Beautifully said.
For my university the four year graduation rate for the entire school is 34% and six years it's 59%. A graduation rate of 74% of African Americans is pretty great. I think the financial aid and school budgeting should be reevaluated to benefit all students in need.
I honestly don't think everyone even SHOULD go to college, some people just can't learn that way, that, and a college education has become so diluted through the years that having a degree means as much as having a diploma. I was lucky enough to get into a state university with a much cheaper tuition rate and I have 0$ in loans to pay back, thank god. I even know I got into my school (it was for art) because of my good grades and SAT score, and not necessarily my talent. I worked my ass off in HS and I am from a hispanic middle class family. College was never an option for me, it was always an inevitability. I considered dropping out several times, I felt like I wasn't learning what I should be, and in the end I feel like even with the cheaper tuition my parents overpaid for the education I received. Maybe what more people should be considering is home-college programs, where students can learn what THEY are interested in, enroll in 'open-world' classes online that allows them to learn exactly what they want to at the rate they want to learn it. Not forcing liberal arts down our throats like we're prisoners on a hungry strike. We're not lazy, we're just angry that we're all being pigeon-holed and sometimes forced into this path of high school then college when a lot of us aren't even well suited for college. More kids should be encouraged to wait, put off going for a year or two, work retail, learn how the world works and help them realize how important an education really is, or if they're lucky, they'll discover and learn what they need on their own to break into the beginnings of a successful career without wasting 4 years of their lives and thousands and thousands of dollars.
I wish I had had this 'hiatus' before I went to school, or even considered it an option. When I was told I may possibly be wait listed for a semester to my chosen college I burst into frantic tears. I didn't see waiting as an option, I saw it as failure. a gap in my future nothing would be able to explain away besides the fact that I 'wasn't good enough' this is a fundamental disability in our society. Taking a break from standardized education should never be perceived as a weakness. You should never stop learning. True students will not suffer from a break, but benefit from it.
I'm having my 'break' now, when I am for all intents and purposes ready for a real job and should be building the foundation of a lifelong career. I never questioned what I wanted to do when I was growing up. I always knew. And yet here I am, stuck squandering away my 20's in my parents house because no one wants to take a chance on a puerto rican with an art degree.
The problem isn't that enough minorities are going to college, the problem is college doesn't even really help your chances in the first place. Where are the statistics saying college graduates of minority races are any better off? I doubt there's a significant enough difference to justify the wealth spent on a college education, even with financial aid.
tl;dr
I really hope no one wasted money paying for you to go to college. You're clearly meant to be flipping burgers.
As much as I wish that were true, humans are as lazy as you claim and only retain information they find relevant. I cannot possibly recall anything beyond the most basic of history facts on an elementary school level, and I took Ap US History and PASSED, as well as several required courses in Art History. My psychology course was a bit of a joke, and the only part I recall anything about was in reference to psychological marketing campaigns. My Phys. Ed classes were also jokes, I took Tai Chi and Tennis in College and gym in HS was a lot of sitting around doing nothing. I excelled most in art and writing and that is where my focus remains when it comes to retaining information. Sure you can argue and say being 'exposed' to these other disciplines is enough, and that total mastery isn't required to reap the benefits but then how can you explain say, for example, students from a highly respected art school here in NYC not having to study as many liberals producing the more talented and disciplined artists as opposed to my SUNY? I had to fight tooth and nail to learn what I needed to shape a career out of my chosen major on top of having to take all of those required learning courses. In my opinion, those courses should be completely restricted to High school students and allow us to focus in on our major when we get to college. So we are still exposed to those other disciplines, but we can dedicate the years and the TIME needed to truly earn a degree in our CHOSEN discipline.
good job! love the emotion, the transitions, the power behind the words.
Fantastically done!
If they're experiencing this at UCLA, well then that is the battle they're having to fight, and they have the right to call out the school they attend. It's a step in the process of identifying systematic racism at work. It's not opposite racism; it is shedding light on a way of thinking that gives a certain race the upper hand. They are calling out people in their school to grab their attention, which is what they have to do. But the system affects everyone. It's not about minority pointing at white people with hatred. It's minorities speaking up and bringing awareness for everyone. A group of us students at my own university have a similar fight, and it's all a part of identifying the unconscious biases (and conscious) that are deeply rooted in American society. We need white, black, Philippino, and every ethnicity to see that there are groups that history has limited their voice. So those with less of a say, and more of a say have to validate the experience of minorities. Bravo to this group for voicing their frustrations. I pray that you are heard at your university.
Wow! Right on! Middle School teacher here, who wants her students to reach for the stars in face of this reality. Beautiful spoken word. It so moved me. A message that needs to be shared and heard...
A “pallet” is either a bed (now rare) or a flat platform onto which goods are loaded. A “palette” is the flat board an artist mixes paint on (or by extension, a range of colors).
It takes a lot of courage to speak up! Thank you. Very informative and shocking. Here I was thinking that the good ol' u.s. of a had come a long way in righting the wrongs of the past. I had no idea it was still perpetuating them. Ignore the rude and ungracious comments and fight for the equality that should have already been granted, a long time ago, that good people have died for. I'm not American, nor am I black, and I am not male but I hear you and if any of you were my sons I would be so proud. Shame on the administration of that university.
You do realize that the petition is not asking for "equal treatment", but for ADDITIONAL special treatment to black students?
superbarnie "according to Professor Sander, 3.3% is far too many black kids
On his perfectly paved roads there are far too many black skids". Snowflakes like you help perpetuate the cycle because you think racial inequality doesn't exist and people of color who speak up about it are just screaming out, "we've found nessie!"
catothewiser people get convinced by stuff they see on a screen. It's why Fox News confuses so many people.
FireStorm
First of all, I'm not white. It doesn't take a white person to simply make an observation and speak the truth.
Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound? You are asking for inequality while claiming to fight inequality.
FireStorm That's simply the definition. No amount of wishful thinking is going to change it.
Is that all you have to say?
No one is discriminating against black students to prevent them from attending UCLA. It's is simply black students themselves tend to have lower grades and SAT/ACT scores. And as a result, the don't pass admissions. Hence, the 3.3%. It has nothing to do with Professor Sander or what not.
Well i am African American, i did not get into UCLA but i got into Cal State Northridge CSUN and i am a loud and proud alumni. I have a career making six figures more than many UCLA graduates the point i am trying to make is so what if you don't get into UCLA its not the end of the world you can go to another school and be just as successful in the outcome.Now that i look back i am glad i went to a CSU rather than going to a UC .Cal states are learning oriented and you find more diversity including more Blacks and Hispanics
If you presented the stats for how many people of color applied vs. were accepted, as well as the percentage of other ethnic backgrounds such as Asian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern, you would have a better case, I am sure the Asian population at UCLA is high, based on the fact that Cali has the highest density of Asian Americans than in any state. This only highlights the amount which are attending but dropping out. The real problem lies with pre-college education, I do completely agree with the notion that qualified individuals deserve high education, regardless of any racial, cultural, or sexual differences.
This issue is cultural and socioeconomic. It is NOT the fault of the faculty of UCLA.
If you look at the demographics of UCLA, and represent them as a percentage of the demographics of California you get this:
White: 38%
Black: 58%
Hispanic: 47%
Asian: 251%
That chart takes the % of the UCLA student body that is a particular race, and divides it by the % of california's population that is that race.
Black students are underrepresented by almost half. Hispanic students are underrepresented by over half... and White students are underrepresented by almost two thirds.
Meanwhile Asian students are overrepresented two and a half times over.
How can people suggest that UCLA needs affirmative action?
Your figures are grossly misleading - you need to compare UCLA student demographics to the statewide YOUTH demographics. The demographics of Californians in K-12 schools is dramatically different than the demographics of the general state population. When you do so, you will find that whites are not underrepresented and that Latinos are much more underrepresented. There are plenty of other problems with this methodology but using these numbers will make your figures much less deceiving: www.cpehn.org/demochartdetail.php?btn_viewchart=1&view_381.x=68&view_381.y=21&view_381=Get+Statistics%21
I have a small problem with this parsing of the stats for the following reasons. First, it fails to take into account the acceptances vs. admissions, which could provide an entirely different perspective into what is going on. What if white students were accepted at a much higher rate but because of opportunities available to them enrolled elsewhere? Similarly what if more blacks were accepted, wanted to enroll, but simply couldn't afford to attend the school? That's not your fault--you simply wanted to counter the video's stats with a contrary view, which I don't think really goes to the heart of what these students'points were.
The second issue I have is that UCLA is actively courting students nationally and internationally, so I'm not sure that comparing the student body to the state of California is apt. In the context of your stat, does this 3.3% of the student body include students from outside California? If so, doesn't that mean that black Californians would have been admitted at a rate far below their proportional representation?
The truth is that numbers can't really provide the depth needed to intelligently discuss this issue. The information we really need to know is the school's goals for diversity in the student body, the means by which they hope to achieve that, and any obstacles that are preventing them from reaching those goals. The numbers are only a snapshot of the results of their efforts at this point in time. Is the school happy with 3.3 percent of the student body being African American males? If so, why, and is their answer reasonable?
Vince The figures on cpehn.org do not agree AT ALL with the figures on census.gov... it's not even close.
Earnest Pettie I don't have enough data or time to write an entire paper parsing the data from every direction. This small tidbit is enough to call the premise of this video into question.
***** I don't have a breakdown for ANY of the continents I mentioned. I don't really think it's relevant to this discussion, either. It may be possible to find that information at census.gov
Falcrist I guess we'll just have to disagree. Their argument wasn't about proportional representation but about a perceived lack of financial support from the administration and an implicit feeling of exploitation. I think you misunderstood the premise of the video.
Earnest Pettie I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to continue to disagree. The lack of financial support wasn't the premise. It was mentioned only once. The demographics of the school was mentioned throughout the entire video.
Props to all the Black Bruins...past, present, & future!
Reading through some of the comments, the majority of those who have something negative to say show that they didn't even comprehend the video, and are ranting without even acknowledging what these guys are speaking about. Ignorance at its finest level.
Maybe the commenters just don't agree and think it's a poorly put together argument. The only reason they claim that less blacks graduate is lack of financial aid, but they have no numbers proving this nor do they have numbers showing the financial aid given to other ethnicities. It's nice that they took the time to make parts rhyme, but they should've been more focused on facts instead of rhymes and metaphors.
I am NOT defending the negativity of these comments.But I (a black man) watched this twice and I also shared this video.All I can get out of this performance was anger.I am not going to say mean things but damn it; it leaves a dirty taste in my mouth. This video depreses and angers me.I live in New Jersey. Rutgers University(the flagship college of New Jersey) produces more black graduates that UCLA. Jersey is much smaller than Cali.What the F%#* is going on in the West Coast.I got more people in my bowling league that UCLA has black graduates. HOW THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN? LA is the second biggest city in our country. California is the biggest state in the country. What the HELL man. Isn't UCLA in a Black neighborhood? WTF The biggest accomplishment for blacks in UCLA is Black Panthers getting shot and basketball championship. This angers the hell out of me. I am 3000 miles away from that place and I am embarrassed.
FUCKING SINISTER
WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA????
david stanley
New Jersey is 14.7% black and Rutgers, New Brunswick is 7% black.
California is 6.6% black and UCLA is 4%.
The percentage of blacks at UCLA is closer to the state's percentage than at Rutgers, NB.
New Jersey has a much high percentage of blacks and Rutgers, NB has more students than UCLA which explains graduating more blacks.
The University of California has 9 campuses, plus California State University has 23 campuses. Black Californians have lots of choices.
Yea 100% agree. People are so ignorant it annoys the shit out of me..
@@O.Ez8 ignorant to think the ucla admissions is unfair towards blacks you mean? lol
"We're not asking for a handout, we're asking for a level playing field." Affirmative action doesn't fix years of prior poor school performance whether the reason was racism or otherwise. You just drop a person in a school unprepared, then, as expected, they drop out. The unexamined reality of "legacy" students skating to graduation while promising black affirmative action students fail, is that the slackers from elite families started out intelligent enough to slack their way through, while affirmative action students were bumped up to a school past their skill level. Meanwhile, Asian students with first-generation immigrant parents go directly into the most challenging STEM courses and graduate with flying colors.
Bull. UCLA can and should do more to identify African - American talented kids, from age 6 and up. Also, let's keep Afram kids IN school while they appeal decisions to throw them out.
The system is geared towards the rich and the whites, always has been. That's fully changeable.
amandagirlygirl12 No, it really isn't (geared towards the whites). At least not the college system. You can make the argument that the public school system is (not that its completely accurate though), but the UC application doesn't include anything regarding race, other than for demographic purposes.
amandagirlygirl12 What about just TALENTED kids in general. Why do they have to be racially selective? What ever happened to equality? Why do other races have to take a backseat?
Melanie Elizabeth does this say what ever happened to equality? implying that at any point in this country equality existed? Man, it would be nice though, I imagine.
People have become anti-everything and complain about the divide by enforcing the divide even more. I believe gay's should have the same rights as everyone else and dont need to be considered "the gays" when referring to them because I am not considered part of a group refereed to as "the hetero's" do you see where I am going with that? I never said equality existed but aren't we trying to move forward and not back? Is making exceptions to or trying to let less white people in schools so more black people can go any different then when it was reverse not too long ago? I mean, if we are supposed to push equality, then why the exceptions?
"We've come too far to let history repeat itself". This video did more than you think. I live in Toronto and we're talking about it in my school. Very wise and eye opening. Thank you.
I think other factors should be considered before coming to a conclusion on the video. Factors that should be considered: In the Fall of 2013, the undergraduate class for UCLA is 34.8% Asian. 27.8% White. 18% Hispanic, and 3.8% Black. The most recent California census: 14.9% Asian. 61.6% White. 37.6% Hispanic. 7.2% Black. In other words, 55% of the "White" seats were taken by Asians. 53% of the "Hispanic" seats were taken by Asians. 48% of the "Black" seats were taken by Asians. It isn't the "White" folk that are keeping the "Black" folk down. It is the "Asians". If you actually look at the underlying statistics though, the Asians are dominating the admissions even with an admissions penalty, and the Blacks have an admissions bonus. In other words, if UCLA admissions were truly blind, there would be even more Asians and even less Blacks. People are raging at the wrong target. The path to UCLA does not begin at admissions. It begins at the home 18 years before admissions. So, who should take a more critical look? The people whose parents were fresh off the boat from Asia with no money, who don't speak English, opened up a grocery store, a food joint, or a dry cleaning facility and told their children for 18 straight years that they had to study harder to get into a good school and make something of themselves? Or, everybody could just stop pointing fingers. If some fresh off the boat Asian can sacrifice everything to make sure their child has a better life, so can any other ethnicity in one or two generations as long as they stop pointing fingers and start climbing the ladder.
You know, it's sad that a young man can't even make a video that focuses on a serious problem facing the country without so much negative (as well as ignorant and hateful) feedback. All I see when I read the comments below is a lot of people who AREN'T black (or African-American if you prefer) getting incredibly argumentative, defensive and outright ignorant because they don't like what he has to say. "I'm white and there's no such thing as white privilege because I say so! I'm Mexican and I managed to get by, so no one should complain about systemic racism; it's not a real problem! Statistics show that men of color are still being wildly discriminated against, but clearly the real issue here is that all black people are just self-entitled, wanting everything handed to them!" And I won't even get into the number of blatantly racist comments there are. Honestly, it's sad that people manage to be so ignorant even in this century.
Just because a problem isn't affecting you personally doesn't mean that it's not a serious issue. Dismissing an injustice because you would prefer not to acknowledge the problem doesn't change the facts...
UCLA is 35% Asian and 18% Hispanic, with many of these students coming from families with similar humble upbringings (it's also 12% International). In fact, only 28% of its student body classifies itself as "White".
Not to mention, its located in one of the most liberal cities in the U.S., in one of the most diverse states in the U.S.
Maybe certain people should stop feeling sorry for themselves and stop looking to others for reasons for their shortcomings and begin looking at what's broken within their communities and their attitudes towards life.
It's funny how racism is easier being the strokes of a computer and the protection of a screen. I'm digging ya work...I'm a fan. Subscribed abd I'll be reposting all over
this is amazing.Nuf said.
Zer0nite "I got into university because of my skin colour, rather than academic ability, and I'm gonna whine about not graduating."
...i concur.
Privileged black kid in a prestigious university comparing his "plight" to that of Rosa Parks. Wow, that's amazing.
I think by reading some of these comments, I'm beginning to lose faith in humanity. But I think the negativity is good...it's sparking a discussion that is SO needed!
- UCLA alumnus & RUclipsr
Asians are far more racist than Europeans. The Japanese, Chinese (from China), Thais, Vietnamese etc. Usually its skin colour based with the lighter skinned peoples looking down on the darker skinned ones. The opposite is Malaysia (Malay) with a constitution which discriminates against Chinese (and Indians).
Yuri Bezmenov Do you realise that you are generalizing both Asians and Europeans in this statement? Kind of racist yourself there?
ruclips.net/video/dsaoxyqBdAA/видео.htmlm14s
Draco
You need help dude
I dont think theres a going back for you, you have been indoctrinated by the jews
Fredrik Sivertsen
Generalising, yes. People don't behave according to their race but according to their culture. If you put your hand in a fire it will hurt, generally. Try it.
***** Hi. Where in my post did I ever claim that? My original post was referring to messages like the one below. THOSE are what's causing me to lose faith in humanity.
"most blaks don't WANT to educate, and many of the ones who do...are just dumb, they got an average IQ of 65
Great poet and speaker, Would be awesome seeing more videos by this dude.
Is this an all black or colored university group?
My point. So many don't realize the double standards that are holding race relations back 400 years
Good thing the UC hired a Sociology professor that spent four years researching this very topic. What did he find you may ask? That 33% of black students wouldn't have gotten in if UCLA didn't change to "holistic" admissions. He found that asians and hispanics were actively discriminated against in order to admit more black kids. The truth must hurt. The playing field is still tilted in the favor of blacks and they still complain. I guess that's why Sy is a "studies" major. Couldn't hack it here in a real department.
This is an incredibly powerful piece of slam poetry. There are a lot of people on the comments who don't understand systemic injustice and hence don't understand the power of your words. Ignore them. You're an incredible artist.
This is so powerful (and the aggressive comments below are a testament to it). Thank you for sharing something that I'm too privileged to ever have to think about, and for doing it in such an unapologetic way. We need more of this.
WOW... that was deep
+Lillian Edwards-Walker yeah.. deep SHIT
:)
Michelle Liu there are no politics... you have the grades to be competitive in your chosen major and you will get in... simple
I agree with you that this video is complete BS.
:)
Michelle Liu nope.. and that's exactly why the Chinese were suing Harvard. Even though Chinese and other asians are outscoring the rest of the applicants they cannot accept them all because they would have a 90% asian student body, however this is not the case with the blacks. They don't have enough qualified black applicants to even reach the maximum numbers of blacks that could be accepted... It's just the sad truth that not a lot of black youths are qualified to attend Universities such as UCLA and the majority of the ones that do only do because of their athletic talent.
That was very powerful. We will see the future change. Our generation is determined.
"12% of the entire United States population is African American. Only 6% of California's population is African American. The Acceptance rate for African Americans at UCLA is 23%. For everyone else it averages at 20%. The numbers are low for the simple fact that there are not many African Americans applying to UCLA. If you were to think how many of that 6% are graduating high school, and looking to apply to a college; it would be less than 2%. So of course that number is astronomically low for admissions. Instead of looking at something as being racist, do research on your own and look at the obvious facts." quoting this guy, tired of this racism bullshit.
Is it there fault that African-Americans are more likely to be born in poverty? How would you perform academically if everyday you had to worry about whether you'd make it home from school or not and whether you were going to have dinner when you got there? And then, even if they get accepted, many of them can't even afford the tuition. So stop running around with your white privilege making racist comments and take a sociology course.
***** what they hell are you talking about? That was not related to the above comment in any way! I don't know if you know this but NO ONE can afford 30,000 dollars a year for college. The only people who can are the one per centers, and news flash, not all white people are in that one percent. So stop complaining and instead put one foot in front of the others, because we are all in the same boat.
I'm complaining about nothing. I'm not African-American. I've never been discriminated against because of my color. But that doesn't mean that I rag on people because they are. I know nobody can afford college, I'm there myself, but that doesn't mean that some people are more able to afford the loan payments better than others. And NO ONE is in the same boat; there's not two people in the world are going through the exact same situation, so who has the right to judge. And if you don't think racism is still a thing, chances are that you're one of the racist douchebags.
"I know nobody can afford college, I'm there myself" you realize you are saying that you are in the same situation as everyone else right? These comments don't have to do with race, stop bringing it up, its purely about statistics.
*****
I'm not white so there goes your white privilege theory. Black people are handed the world but when you see things like "knockout" that's going on in Jersey City, NJ. You tend to wonder if they want to still have their social stigma with them.
Raw numbers do not mean students were turned away even though they were qualified.
my sentiments exactly, show me that they're turnign down students with worthy grades and I'll show you some rage
Bink Says If you don't see any, you're not looking hard enough.
beautiful. my teacher showed me this in class when we were talking about education. i was snapping and and "mmm'ing" people dont understand the true meaning behind this but i do and its amazing ur right we do need to make a change.
If they really want more black students, then they should start a petition for programs in the public education of lower income cities to help actually prepare kids for college. That way, not only would black people be helped, but other people who are less fortunate as well (anyone can be born into poverty, regardless of skin color.)
UCLA should NOT lower its standards just to make the percentage statistic on a website look "better" or more "politically correct," all that will do is allow unprepared people into college, increasing the dropout rate.
And then as those unprepared people drop out, they are left with crippling student loan debt, spiraling them FARTHER into the cycle they can't get out of. All because they felt like going to college is a right for everyone, and not something that depends heavily on your academic merit.
I wonder what the number of black applicants to the college is. Adding that statistic to the video would have an even greater impact, I think. showing how many have been denied as well.
I looked it up, and it's 5%. Only 5% of UCLA's applicants are black! So obviously the student body isn't going to be 20% black!!
So the percentage of those applying/accepted is not as horrible as they are making it out to be. Hm. Statistics.
Loved the video, I truly understand! And stereotypes play a huge roll in how a person is seen and honestly it sounds as if some people are judging before they actually get to know a person. The thing is you don't know anyone's struggle until you actually sit down and have a conversation with them. There is talent throughout all races, however being black all we supposed to be good at is sports and so that's what people assume. No one speaks of the black person that actually works hard, studies, and maintains a relatively high GPA. All we get from the media and schools themselves are how great a sport is doing
I definitely agree with a lot of what he was talking about, but the truth of the matter is, you need to work hard. Point, blank, period. You want a full scholarship? Put in that work. You want people to show you respect, regardless of your skin tone? Put in that work. You want to not become another negative statistic that plagues the african american community? Put in that work. Do not let where you come from determine where you go. In regards to financial aid, that is something that definitely needs to be changed. But you need a good work ethic and a strong mentality to push through all the bullshit.
it's really naive to think that hard work's all it takes.
Anna Apfelstrudel Its really not. There will always be obstacles in your way, but if you keep letting those obstacles define you, then you wont go anywhere. I know so many people who came from nothing, had no parents, all in all a hard upbringing. And yes they were people of colour. If they were to let society continuously be an obstacle to their success, they would be no where. Take examples of world renowned neurosurgeon who was the first man (who happened to black) to separate conjoined twins, Ben Carson. He was raised by a single mother and had the possibility to grow up a thug and do nothing with his life. He chose not to go with the latter.
Many work hard to get to where they are today. Many work hard to prevent others from getting in their way. Its not always as simple as working hard. People on top like their elbow room and will keep others they have issues with from taking a dime or moving into their space. Either from something as simple minded as racism or a group that has been hurting being overlooked because they are too busy enjoying their resources instead of focusing on equal support. Unless hard work involves standing against these people and forcing them out of their nests or even just to ruffle their feathers enough to get them to change for the better...you'll be hard at work against a brick wall.
Anna Apfelstrudel Yep, you see it everywhere. In schools and the work world. It's politics. Status and money makes people dance. Kind of ridiculous don't you think?
HappyBivouac Yes thats exactly what I'm saying. Whether you like it or not, us minorities have to work 10x times harder while others dont. Its the world we live in. My point is that guess what? The world is unfair and racists and stereotypical and all that jazz, but making excuses for yourself, while it is completely true and not exaggerated, will not get you anywhere. The piece here is fantastic and I hope doors open up for this guy with this, but for the rest of them, you cannot sit idly just spewing out stats that apply to you and let it be an excuse for you to not work hard. Everybody comes from different circumstances but if we all let the bullshit in the world get to us, then every minority will never progress. I mean look at Asian people who are dominating schools here and there, but how many of them are CEOs of big companies? Isnt that bullshit too? But facts like that should not be a reason to let it hold them back or any other minority from reaching the top. Even if it means working that much harder than someone else
Oh my god… that was Amazing. There was so much power and energy from that poem… I'm speechless.
From an old guy born on third base, I am glad you are speaking up and speaking boldly! Anything I can do to help from afar - living in Cambodia?
Well said my brother! The message is about the university pretending to be diverse, heavily advertising diversity when it is not true. It is not about lowering standards for blacks. It is about being about what you said you are about. UCLA needs to look for these qualified people of color and encourage them to apply to the school. Instead of only seeking out athletes of color to play sports. In addition to trying to recruit students of color they need to make sure they, use their money wisely (which I am sure they have enough of to provided decent financial aid.) A lot of schools give a great package the first year and then drastically change the amount of aid given the next year. I could talk about Affirmative action but I do not have the time. At the end of the day private schools are a business, they will seek and and pay for black athletes because they make a lot of money off of them, but in the same token will not extend this hand to non-atletes blacks. In other words black males are a tool for money.
Sy, such a powerful video! I watch the views go up 25,000 an hour with people all over the world. What outreach. Please don't be discouraged by the negative comments. They only expose their own prejudices, racism, and complete lack of education. To say work harder proves they think a level playing field can be achieved in college, or before high school graduation, when the game started in elementary school. I too IN MY YOUTH thought "work harder" but then I read three books that changed my life.
Horace's Compromise - Theodore R. Sizer
The Shopping Mall High School - Arthur G. Powell, Eleanor Farran, David K. Cohen
Savage Inequalities - Jonathan Kozol
Some are out of print so buy them, cheap, before they're gone. Knowledge is power! While these people are shooting blanks, make your pen an even mightier sword.
I pray you see this comment.
Sy Stokes, loved this, very well done !
As an admittedly privileged old white Bruin from the days when Lew Alcindor used to tower above the crowds (and before he changed his name), I have forgotten much but I can still do arithmetic. Like this: 3.8/(27+3.8) = .1233, meaning that out of the total current UCLA population of (black + white) about 12% of them are black. Which matches the general population percentages that I recall from the days when those were the major groups, with Asian and Hispanic in single digits. Lots has changed since then, but that overall b/w population ratio looks very much the same (though I doubt that the percent of black Bruins was that high in the 60s). But maybe my memory is failing again.
Had this come out circa 2007-2009 I would have loved to do something like this. Edinboro University of PA is no different. From strategically moving people of color out of positions to SGA positioning itself to not support or allocate funds to African American organizations, I know what he speaks of and how they feel far too well.
You have a beautiful prescence, and very well spoken. A way with words...
Everyone has been posting this video glorifying it. The student's delivery is undoubtably fantastic, however, I do not support all the statements he made. 1. he uses the lack of financial aid as a reason for african american drop outs. I received the same financial aid package that he did (the best one available). I made the choice to take out the loans to make up the difference and continue my education. 2) He mentions the low statistic of african americans being admitted. However, he did not mention how many actually apply. How are you supposed to admit students who do not apply to the university. In addition, he only mentioned the number of african american males. Why not include females? 3) He gives an example of the business school wasting money on plane trips and hotel stays. However, the business school is a PRIVATE institution that is not associated with UCLA undergrad and has private funds. 4) Finally he mentions that african americans do not want pity, they just want "a level playing field". If they want a level playing field, then the university should require them to have the same GPA and SATs. I guess I have taken this so personally because I came from a lower income situation, and a school that did not prepare me for the difficult road UCLA laid before me. I had the same resources (financial aid, free tutoring) that african americans and other races had. I had the drive and fought through very difficult curriculum to come out on top. I worked long hours at UCLA catering to make enough money to pay for groceries, resulting in long, late night study sessions, and still managed to pass my classes. I believe the problem begins in high schools not preparing students for college, and action needs to begin there before prestigious universities are attacked for being racist and having high standards of their students. I do not blame the university for challenging me, and I am PROUD to have succeeded in something that I never thought I could. I am PROUD to be a BRUIN ALUMNI. And I hope one day they can be too.
Wow, I am so moved. This was by far the best spoken word performance I have ever seen.
That was beautiful & very touching 3
"The differences in total SAT scores by ethnicity was most extreme between Asian students (who had an average total score of 1623 out of a possible 2400) and black students (who averaged 1276, a four-point drop). Puerto Rican students averaged 1345. The national average was 1509. Top score is 800 in each of the three SAT sections." This is just the raw truth. Earn your way into the university don't pull the race card.
I like the video, but I really don't agree completely with the message.
I'm a huge advocate for Education and Equality, but just because you are a certain race doesn't mean you should get any more special benefits.
If you want to get into UCLA, get stellar grades and test scores, do something outstanding in High School, be different.
If you're already in UCLA, get passing grades and get your degree.
UCLA is extremely competitive enough as it is with a countless number of highly qualified candidates.
If you're Black or not, if you don't put in the work, don't expect someone to hand you the key. If you're fighting for equality, don't do exactly what you're fighting against.
Tam, that is so easy to say, but many racial minorities come from impoverished neighborhoods where their schools do not provide the proper access to bountiful resources to support their academic pursuits. They often don't have guidance counselors or teachers who know enough about success to help them navigate the path towards success. The advantage that the privilege have is that they often are surrounded by the more forward-thinking people that they can afford to have access to. Their parents are likely in law, medicine, corporations, family-owned businesses, etc. They've been there. They know what they went through to get to where they are. They will guide their children to follow in their footsteps or dreams without having to reinvent the wheel. What levels the playing field more is when you're surrounded by the right people and right resources that can support you.
Melody Lam Melody, I agree with what you're saying. I should have thought more into my comment, but that is basically what affirmative action is all about. Providing this kind of justice. We all have our own opinions and I do agree that usually white males have a greater opportunity to succeed than racial minorities because of your statements listed. I want to be as equal as I can in saying this next statement, but if I was the CEO of a company and saw a White man with higher qualifications and will fit better with my team than another man who is a minority, I would pick the one best suited for my company regardless of race.
LEST GO!!!!!! BLACK YOUTH IS WAKING UP!!!!!
Everyone needs to take a step back and realize this is not an issue of race.
This is an issue of income inequality. In the simplest terms possible: if you're family is poor when you grow up then there's a much higher chance you will have to drop out of school to get a job to help support your family. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that there is a large population of minorities, particularly African-Americans (in response to this video) who are still feeling the effects of racism from four decades ago.
Let's face another fact: UCLA is a business. All colleges and universities are. You are either paying for your tuition now with cash and credit or you're paying in the future by becoming a successful Alumnus and making the school look good (these would be the students getting financial aid). They aren't choosing students based on race they are choosing them based on academics and, to some degree, your family. Can it really be a surprise that there are far fewer African American students who don't play sports?
Now I'm not saying you shouldn't be outraged. In fact I'm saying the opposite, but you need to be outraged at the right group. Don't blame the school blame the system that made so many young African Americans drop out of school to help support their families.
Income inequality is the real culprit here and we all need to realize that.
Summary of the video: there aren't enough black students at this university in our opinions. Tuition is expensive. We need preferential treatment so that we can get something for free based on skin color.
I don't understand videos like this...what difference does race make? If they can't afford that particular school or maintain the academic standards necessary to graduate, then maybe they shouldn't go to that particular school. All this video is doing pitting blacks against whites again. UCLA is not their only hope for a college education. Playing the race card is shameful.
If I were a minority, I would be insulted by affirmative action. If I knew that a major factor for my admission into a school was based on the fact that they needed more of "my people" to fulfill their PR stunt diversity quota or I got scholarship money because my skin color indicated that I was too poor to pay for school myself, I'd be highly offended. Financial aid should be awarded based on socioeconomic status, not race.
Advocates of affirmative action are essentially saying "I want to live in a colorblind society unless i can use my color to my advantage in which case i am *insert "minority" status here*, please give me preferential treatment when it comes to college admission and free money"
Just to reiterate before somebody decides to call me racist: I believe giving special consideration based on ANY skin color is wrong (be it preferential or otherwise). Socioeconomic status should be the ONLY non-merit based factor when considering college admission and scholarship awards. It makes no sense to me that the hispanic female that is in two of my classes that has a far lower GPA than I, is getting a full ride from my university when I, a white male, gets absolutely no scholarship money even though I am going into my senior year with a 4.0 GPA. I guess I'm privileged enough being white and all...
***** First, I do agree with you that sports ability should not be as important as it is.
If you had read a little more carefully you would have comprehended the part where I said "the only non-merit based factor" - last time I checked, a perfect GPA is something of merit and therefore would be covered under the merit based opportunity consideration. Busting my balls because I hammered out a quick comment without proofreading it? Excuse me. I do apologize and I commend you for having nothing really relevant to say so you instead nitpick at non-essential elements of my argument. Have you gotten your official Grammar Nazi Swastika bumper sticker in the mail yet?
Rhetoric aside, the relevant takeaway here is this: giving special consideration to those of "minority" status does nothing to promote equality. If there is a black male who (as you say, has a lower socioeconomic status because of the correlation between socioeconomic status and skin color - something I agree is true), then I am all for giving him scholarship money before it is awarded to someone of a higher socioeconomic level. But I do not agree with giving special consideration to individuals based on *race* alone. The race option needs to be removed from college scholarship applications. If the imperative for equality is that people should not be treated differently than others because of their skin color, then it should work both ways. No being treated differently whether its special treatment or discriminatory treatment.
This is an incredible piece I love what you bring up about the money being spent on five star hotel suites and first class plane tickets. Keep up the amazing work
This video is powerful. Statistics presented on this video shocked me, 35/48 of the enrolled male African American freshmen will be on track of graduation, 3.3% of the males enrolled in UCLA were African American, and more national championships than male African American freshmen (109 vs. 48). It feels like many of them are enrolled there for the sake of competing for a national championship rather having an education as evident for several athletes wanting to go pro instead of finishing school. Sy Stokes, this verified my notion that UCLA is not diverse enough based on the evidence of statistics you provide and also my first and only visit at UCLA as a high school senior, seeing the majority of African Americans as athletes and the majority of the students I saw were white and Asian. That kind of scenery was similar to UC Irvine, where I went as an undergrad. Honestly Sy, you will be attacked by people anywhere from the internet to the environment where you are when you express your opinions and spread your message. Sy, you will see that I will not include my other thoughts since I am anxious and afraid to be blasted by some people here on this touchy subject. African Americans are still oppressed even indirectly too. And by the way, I am Filipino and I feel that there are some aspects that I do not understand about UCLA, some untold stories that I did not see and pay attention. Best of luck for this message to spread, and take care.
Asians are a smaller minority than Black in the US yet Asians are over-represented in university especially top universities. Its actually harder for an Asian to get into a top university than an equally qualified black or white because of affirmative action. If affirmative action was removed from the ivies, it would be full of Asian. Being a minority is a disadvantage, but you must turn it into a strength. There are countless cases of Asian immigrants who come to the US poor and speaking zero English (my family for example). I grew up in the ghettos of North Philly yet my siblings, cousins and I all graduated from ivy league universities but our parents can barely speak English. I am not saying this to toot my own horn, but to try to offer a solution on how the to improve the situation. The reason Asians immigrants perform well is because of strong family support and a culture with high expectations. Asian parents work hard and they expect their children to work hard too. I did not have a tiger mom/dad because they were too busy putting food on the table by selling Chinese food on the streets, but I had a community of aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins that perpetuate the values of hard work in job and academics. Underperforming is not an option. I had to study and work hard to get out of the ghettos. The Black community does not need affirmative action. What is needed is a strengthening of culture and family. No policies or laws can improve the situation without these two fundamental values. Culture is slow and hard to change. However you don't need to change the culture, just change yourself and instill those values in your kids and things can improve in one generation.
My story is the same as yours but we have different conclusions. The systemic racism and discrimination that exists in America as real tangible obstacles to black Americans, particularly men, complicates the matter beyond that of personal drive and community support. I enjoyed the daily privilege of people not automatically assuming I was possibly violent or criminal or both. I enjoyed the daily privilege of people assuming I was smart almost everywhere I went, rather than assuming underperformance and low standards. That has made a difference in the opportunities that were open to me.
Ei-Nyung Choi I do acknowledge that negative stereotypes and preconceptions are a big hinderance. However what is cause and what affect? The more someone tries to put me down or say I cant do something, the harder I try. Detractors are also your best advocates. Strengthen the black family and culture first. Without that affirmative action will not have much of an impact. I'm actually pro affirmative action. I do not want to attend a university where everyone is Asian because university is not just about learning about yourself but about the world.
An example of how broken the black culture is is when a successful black person is ostracized by his/her own community for being too white or selling out because of his/her success
As a black and asian woman, I agree with your comment wholeheartedly.
I agree with you Mr. To. Family expectations play a huge role in economic, social and educational advancement. I am African American and my forebears have been in the U.S. since slavery - I think. Black folk have had to deconstruct some cultural 'ticks' specific to this country, unlike immigrant groups or White brothers and sisters. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Blacks made inroads in job opportunities, educational advancement, home ownership, politics and business development. Affirmative action for clerical workers, trades people, college and professional school admissions, etc. is singularly responsible for that progress. So why does it take us so long to completely overcome? That's really what other groups really want to know, yes? The 'peculiar institution' of slavery and its remnants, 'Jim Crow' and racism (much the same thing, in some respects), insisted de facto and de jure bullets be levied for every single step we have taken till now. And the profound psychological damage, dare I mention it, individually and collectively, helps explain so much. A writ of particulars is redundant. But it's safe to say the majority of Black folk just haven't gotten over it. Many Whites and others, some Black folk too, want us to. And many White brethren say they aren't responsible. No one's responsible, or so it seems. "Move on" - such a familiar refrain. Think people. Aren't we asking the impossible if no one acknowledges something horrific happened. How is this justice? Say what happened and make it right. If you believe in God, we'll have to account when eternity beckons. What would you say - with a straight face?
GREAT MESSAGE! Bravo to you all!!!!!!!
True, the demographics are unsettling, and there is still economic injustice at UCLA. But I am not sure exactly what you want your audience to do about it.
Suggestions:
1) Correct your factual errors (enumerated by many who have commented here) and upload a corrected video.
2) Tell us less about your attitude and more about what your specific plan of action is, and what we can do to help.
3) Celebrate the community by starting an inclusive African-American cultural theme house on the UCLA campus, like Ujamaa House at Stanford, which, when I lived there for two years during my undergraduate years, presented inspiring programs with luminaries such as James Baldwin, and helped many students to embrace diversity.
4) Get financing for your movement by involving black alumni.
5) Help UCLA to recruit more African-American students who are talented in areas other than sports.
All the best to you, and don't let the numbers discourage you.
I'll translate this for anyone who doesn't quite get the deepness of such poetry
"we are consistantly too stupid to do any research and want to ignore any of the facts or circumstances that explain why the statistics are the way they are, so instead we'll just assume it's those damn whites who are biologicaly predisposed to racism and demand you give us money and make the courses easier for us or we'll tell mommy"
absolutely fantastic! well written, well spoken. so powerful... only few can write that like
If you look at the statistics, of course it's going to make sense for there to be a small population of blacks at UCLA. A majority of the people that apply and go to UCLA are CA residents. In 2011, only 6.6% of the CA was black. And obviously, not all of that 6.6% was college age. And obviously, not all of those college age black kids are going to apply to UCLA. Chances are, not a lot of blacks even applied to UCLA, therefore making it even more difficult to admit more blacks into UCLA. There's also the issue of money. They might have been accepted but couldn't afford it, like a large part of the population (all races).
go to hell
If you can see that there is a problem in the way wealth is distributed among black people. Like the fact that they're paid half what white men are paid. Then you can get the message of this video. The school rather spend money on 1st class tickets than helping intelligent students that can't pay for university.
Yeah, that's a little unnecessary. But financial aid is an issue for everyone that can't afford college. But coming back and watching this makes me even angrier than before. In fall 2015, 5680 enrolled, but only 954 were out of state and 643 were international. That means about 3/4s of the enrolled were from CA. So again, do the math. I'm just going to say the college-age black population in California is like 1/5 of the total black population there so...IDK
lol, I couldn't afford Imperial College London which I fit into a lot better and which is ranked a bit above Berkeley and LA and chose to go to LA because of that, and LA gave me NO aid, it was just cheaper than forking out $36k in tuition to study there compared to $12k here.
Now you guys are complaining you don't get FREE rides just because you got accepted when thousands of others who chose UCLA over unis that may rank higher or even fit them better because of cost get nothing?
How ungrateful, attend a uni that's not as prestigious if you don't get a scholarship, UCLA could always take a student that is more qualified that is willing to pay for it.
After all, if you were good enough to attend UCLA, tons of universities should be willing to PAY YOU to attend them.
(don't get me wrong, UCLA is among the top 5 in the world in my major (math/applied math) and is among the top 5, 10, 15 or 20 in the world in most rankings, it's one of the best universities out there and along with Caltech it powers the research and academia going on in SoCal)
oh I know I know! We need to raise the bar for whites and asians and lower the bar for African Americans. And then if that doesn't 'level the playing field' we can just make college more expensive for whites and asians only. Or we can acknowledge that races are different and accept that we are better at different things.
Thank you for your spoken words and being the voice for the voiceless!
Much Hate.
Much Anger.
Wow.
Sy- I can appreciate where you are coming from- but I believe "affirmative action" should be based on ECONOMICS not "race". I knew plenty of white underprivileged children who were growing up in POVERTY who never had a chance. Once in higher education, I realized the vast majority of minorities that made it already came from privileged backgrounds so any "special" consideration honestly just doesn't make sense, only to serve to instigate animosity, division and hate. I for one HATE that I had to feel people may have viewed me as having special consideration because of race when I BUSTED MY ASS in school, top 5% class, participated in student gov, clubs, honors & sports but then had to fight to be taken seriously in higher ed.
really beautiful video. gave me goose bumps. very well spoken and well put!
this is very poetic and all, but the reality is that people accepted into schools due to affirmative action underperform academically. based on the demographics of california and the acceptance rates of black students being higher than the rest, UCLA is definitely NOT going out of their way to reject black applicants.
maybe i'm misunderstanding AA entirely, but what is so uneven about the playing field? hell, some of the smartest kids i've ever met were poor black kids, and i've seen plenty of poor asians and whites get into the best schools. my parents are immigrants. i grew up dirt poor, but i managed to work my ass off in high school to get into a decent school that offered me great financial aid, even with AA working AGAINST me. why can't all blacks/hispanics do the same? also, if you're all so concerned with racism, why is okay that hardworking asian students from poor backgrounds are hurt the worst by AA?
america is not a fair place. whites are the status quo, and everyone else has to deal with that. but remember, this is not a challenge that is exclusive to blacks/hispanics. you do not need special treatment in order to succeed.
AA is the epitome of racism. it not only devalues your degree, but points to an inherent inferiority in intelligence. college matriculation should be a meritocracy. stop perpetuating this cult of victimization. make something of yourselves. change the status quo through your own merit. there is no big lie. there is no system. the universe is indifferent.
There's a lot of ignorance in the comments section--which I expected.
White people like to think that Black under-achievement exists in some type of vacuum, and ignore historical factors, institutional factors, socioeconomic factors, judicial factors, and emotional factors. They often think that we are crazy and are creating our own problems.
The fact that I am an intelligent, talented, educated, attractive black man has NOT stopped me from enduring indignities such as police scrutiny, racist employers, racist landlords, and even difficulties in the dating arena (I am now happily dating a Japanese-American woman). This shit is REAL.
The point is that it doesn't matter who you are, what you're capable of, or how you contribute to society, if you're black you're BLACK, and that's how people see you, and they will make judgements based on that fact--despite centuries of Anglo-borne violence, which continues to this day, it is US that are still branded as scourges of the earth.
There are always segments of any community that need to get their own shit together, but white people in particular need to get off their soap boxes and realize that they are creating a majority of the problems and attitudes that, in this "colorblind" day and age, continue to contribute to the oppression of people who want nothing more than to live decent, happy lives, like anyone else.
I'm SO sick of these stupid fucking people, who won't take the time to read some history, make their own connections, and LISTEN to what the people in the trenches are telling them.
No we don't..You think we do so it must be true...
Completely moved by this. All the love and support from Maryland.
Black Uni students unite!
UCLA is not a racist school, it takes in students WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE RACE. In fact, being black DOES help you getting into school. I'm not going to comment whether or not affirmative action is good or bad, (however, I will mention my african american friends on the same caliber as me got into northwestern, brown, and yale full ride while I struggled to even get waitlisted on notre dame as an asian). UCLA doesn't not follow affirmative action, but if you get butthurt over that, I scoff at you because I feel betrayed. If there's any racism in my opinion, it's the affirmative action, but like I said, that's my opinion, not a fact.
***** ***PATTIN' THE BEADS OF SWEAT OFF YOUR FACE***
*****
How many do you even expect to get in? Blacks only make up 10% of the population of course there isn't going to be a large number of them graduating.
***** And we are not taking about UCLA as a WHOLE by the PSYCHO-DYNAMICS of INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
***** Don't blame it on UCLA that they make up 65% of the prison population. If anything...maybe that's the problem and the reason why there's only 3.3% at UCLA. The parents should focus more on steering them towards college preparation than the penitentiary. Can't play the race card on everything when admissions to UCLA don't even use race as a factor.
***** so what we are supposed to help them because they are black? that shit ended years ago, try not pulling a damn race card for once. do jews in Germany pull the jew card? Stop looking for hand outs get off your ass and make it happen, simple as that. im 22 years old make 20/hr im dropping 8k alone to fix my teeth beacuuse i was a dumb kid who just didnt geive a fuck. im also dropping a good 100k plus on my education to better myself, guess how much aid i qualify for? ill give you a hint its %0. i dont come from a rich family im paying for it all, its called ambition. you want something go get it, its not going to fall on your damn lap.
I don't often stop midway through whatever passing thought I was involved in while browsing through my various social media while a video on RUclips plays in the background.
This video made me sit up in my chair and shut all other tabs down. This video made me *STOP* midstride to _listen_
Poetry and poetic language are often lost on me since I find substance far more powerful than words alone, this is a video with both. If these numbers are accurate (and I'd expect they would be) then it's time to step up as white privileged motherfuckers and fight for the equality we obviously have been lacking in this country.
Wow.
I respect you, sir.
Thank you.
You know, for being white, I haven't really run into a lot of those privileges people say we have. Especially considering growing up in poverty, you learn that everyone suffers the same down here.
I couldn't have said it any better. The unequal educational opportunities in this country are going to swallow it whole if we don't do something now. I truly think my calling to do something about it is to be a teacher, and be the best damn teacher I can be for ALL my students, White, Black, Asian, Native American, no matter the race or background, I am going to do my damndest.
Robert, before you go falling for any well written speech you listen to, take a look at statistical data before making up your mind: www.admissions.ucla.edu/campusprofile.htm if THAT'S racist, then I don't know what racism is.
Abendschein then you haven't been around much. i am white and i live in a mostly black and latino neighborhood. i'm not rich or 'privileged' in the economic sense, but i experience 'white privilege' on a daily basis. but that's because i have my eyes open and people trust me enough to share their daily struggles w/ me.
They had a message to spread, and I think the way they spread it was pretty good. Instead of rioting or striking, they put their video on the internet. The numbers are pretty low, though. They shouldn't be judged for calling attention to an issue, regardless of whose fault it is.
WORD. This isn't only a plight of the blacks and universities but also the absolute for failure of the future of this country.
If you need blacks for your future, then you are doomed already.
Rog Poll Constitution hating? Definitely leftist Extremist? Fascist? You mean like big government National Socialist where the an individual's opinion doesn't matter and you can be killed for having a different opinion because the constitution doesn't matter? That's supposed to fall under conservatism? I guess I do have to imagine that.