March 13, 2000
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MSU President Susan A. Cole addresses participants at the Myths and Realities of Affirmative Action lecture and discussion during the National Day of Action in Defense of Integration and Affirmative Action. The keynote was given by Joyce Pratt(second from left), regional director of the American Association for Affirmative Action. Panelists included Barbara Milton, the University's Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Officer, Micheal Brown, director of the EOF Program and Homer Mosley, Equal Opportuninty and Affirmative Action Compliance Officer of Bell Atlantic of New Jersey.
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For the first time, a flag celebrating affirmative action was raised outside the Student Center, marking the University's commitment to the mission and goals of affirmative action. The flag-raising event took place Feb. 24, the National Day of Action in Defense of Integration and Affirmative Action.
"Today is a historic day at Montclair State University," said Tina Jacobowitz of Reading and Educational Media, who chairs the President's Commission on Affirmative Action. "We are raising a brand new flag in our first-time celebration of affirmative action on our campus. We plan to continue celebrating and fighting for affirmative action in the coming years."
At the flag raising, President Susan A. Cole read a proclamation and spoke of the need to continue affirmative action on both the national and local levels. "Affirmative action, if successful, should eventually put itself out of business," Cole said. "The current problem is that in some states, there are many who are ready to put it out of business before our major institutions have been sufficiently strengthened."
Following the flag raising, Joyce Pratt, regional director of the American Association for Affirmative Action, gave a talk, "Myths and Realities of Affirmative Action." Her talk was followed by a panel discussion that included Barbara Milton, the University's Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action officer; Michael Brown, director of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program; and Homer Mosley, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Compliance Officer of Bell Atlantic of New Jersey.
Milton, who noted statistical strides in affirmative action at Montclair State since 1976, stressed the need for affirmative action programs on campuses nationally. "We want to ensure that we still engage in good faith efforts so that we have diversity in areas where we find there is underrepresentation of people of color and females," she explained. "Until discrimination and racism are no longer problems, we see the need for programs such as affirmative action to take remedial action."
Brown addressed the myths associated with the Educational Opportunity Fund Program. "As much as EOF promotes the goals and embraces the spirit of affirmative action, EOF is not race-based, but income-based," he said. "EOF provides special admission, financial aid, and academic support services for students, regardless of race and ethnicity."
The purpose of the panel discussion was to spread awareness and educate the campus community about affirmative action and its positive effects, Jacobowitz explained. "As affirmative action comes under increasing attack across the country, those of us who are dedicated to its survival must make sure that our voices are heard," she said. "We must make sure now more than ever that our message gets across affirmative action works."