An affirmative action bake sale is a controversial technique used by student groups composed of mostly economics, business, law, and conservative students, to illustrate their criticism of affirmative action policies, especially as they relate to college admissions. These bake sales have been organized yearly at many schools across the U.S., including UCLA and Columbia University, and participating students have been from varied racial background.

The bake sales sell cookies at different prices depending on the customer's race and sex, imitating the racial and sexual preference practices of affirmative action. A typical pricing structure would be along the lines of $1.00 for white and asian males, $.75 for white and asian females, and $.50 for latino, black, and indian males and $.25 for females. The bake sales are not supportive of this kind of preferential treatment, rather they argue this preferential pricing is analogous to preferential treatment created by affirmative action policies.

Asians not counted as minorities

Asians are generally not included in the minority-discount category in bake-sales because they don't benefit from affirmative action policies. For example, some schools have had restrictions on the high proportion of Asian students admitted, in favour of lower scoring students of other racial groups.1 African-american Dr. Walter E. Williams , distinguished professor of economics at George Mason University further elaborates that:

"A minority group is not a minority if, as a group, it is successful. Asian median family is $55,525, the highest of any other racial group in America. More than 44 percent of Asians age 25 and over have bachelor degrees; the rate for all other Americans was 26 percent. Other indicators of group success would include low crime rate and high family stability."

(See model minority)

Controversy & criticism

The bake sales have been controversial, drawing crowds of students, sometimes facing opposition from campus administrations, and often being accused of racism. An administrator at UNC-Charlotte, Kristen McManus, titled a letter to the press dealing with a bake sale at the university "Racist Practice at UNCC.” In response, in some cases administrators have been accused of censorship and innappropriately advocating a political position.

Dr. Walter E. Williams has responded to critics of these bake sales, writing:

"Why be offended by a money version of racial preferences? After all, it's identical in principle to admission practices sanctioned by university communities across America. In fact, that's what the University of Michigan case before the U.S. Supreme Court [2003] is all about – treating people differently by race."

Williams argues critics are taking a situational stand instead of a principled stand on racial preferences, writing that such a stand point effectively holds that "whether racial preferences are wrong or right depends upon whom it's practiced against."

The movement increased in activity after a June 2003 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court that universities could use race as a factor in admissions. These bake sales are supportive of legislation that would bar public universities from collecting or storing racial information, including from applicants for admission.

See also

• affirmative action

External references

• Affirmative Action Bake Sale article by Dr. Walter E. Williams (March 2003)