LOS ANGELES : Bradley Calls for Fight to Keep Affirmative Action

Speaking at a luncheon meeting of more than 80 young black professionals, former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley declared Monday that it would be “a tragedy” if state and national efforts to eliminate affirmative action programs prove successful.

“You dismantle affirmative action in this country tomorrow or next year and you can forget it,” said Bradley, who is in private law practice.

Bradley urged the group of bankers, businessmen and entertainment industry executives, known as The New Leaders, to fight a proposed ballot measure and other efforts to end programs aimed at providing job and educational opportunities to minorities. “If you don’t,” he said, “you have blinders on and are wearing muffs on your ears.”