What You Can Do

Sample Letter to the Editor


Dear ______________________________:

I am writing to express my support for affirmative action, particularly in institutions of higher education. We all want a color- and gender-blind society, but we know that serious discrimination still persists. As long as discrimination based on race and gender continues to exist, we must fashion remedies that take race and gender into account. Affirmative action must be preserved because it means taking positive, proactive, and pre-emptive steps to root out discrimination.

We in higher education support affirmative action because we believe that diversity serves an important educational function by exposing students to individuals of different backgrounds and to a variety of disciplines, cultures, and points of view. Diversity in higher education helps prepare students for the world of work and for participation in a democratic society. Affirmative action helps guarantee equal employment opportunity in colleges and universities and enhances quality in higher education.

In my own case:

[Insert personal details, for example, a success story on how affirmative action has benefited you, your career, your college, your business, or your community.]