Shirley Wilcher, Executive Director of the American Association for Access

 

Reflection on the speech given by Shirley Wilcher, Executive Director of the American Association for Access, on the topic of Affirmative Action history and understanding Equality and Diversity. (AAAED) Affirmative Action has to ask the question, why are things not working? Here at Rhode Island College “the Affirmative Action Office provides leadership to the campus community concerning matters of equity, affirmative action, prejudice reduction and multiculturalism.” Affirmative Action is not only for the working community it is also for students in higher education. To prevent discrimination on students “on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital, citizenship status or status as a special disabled veteran.”

Here is a list of Higher Education Admissions who were denied for discrimination due to various reasons.

v  Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

v  Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger

v  Fisher v. the University of Texas

It was interesting to hear that as an African American woman, Shirley overcame many obstacles in her life as a respectable professional woman. She shared some of her personal experiences with the audience. I found one of her recent experiences with racism and ignorance disturbing. Recently in Washington while trying to get a cab with a white colleague a cab pulled to the side of the curb, as Shirley put her hands on the door of the cab, the cab driver drove off. Why is this still happening in such a diverse and educated society in 2015?

 It is interesting to note, that “John F. Kennedy was the first to use Affirmative Action which covered federal contracting , companies who did not comply would lose their contracts” according to Shirley Wilcher. Here I will list some meaningful dates that impacts us in our society today. In 1963 the feminist movement began.

Successive Executive Orders on Civil Rights (President Orders)

v  1969 gay rights movements.

v  1969 The Philadelphia Plan “good faith” to stop discrimination of women construction workers.(Nixon)

v  1973 Nixon signed the act that require affirmative action plan for hiring, placement, for people with disabilities. “thou shall not discriminate” (Nixon)

Connections to class readings:

v  S.C.W.A.M.P

v  White Privilege

v  Indian Father’s Plea.

Connections to society:

v  University of Oklahoma college students from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

v   Locally the recent fire of a Fatima Hospital employee with no explanation.

v  Someone I know is accusing Walmart of not hiring her for her disability.