University Outreach Programs
* Thank you for Ruben Navarette’s piece on outreach programs in the continuing debate over affirmative action (“Will Outreach Programs Be the Next Target?” Opinion, July 28).
Opponents of affirmative action claim university-sponsored outreach programs give minorities and women a “leg up” on white male college applicants. They just don’t get it.
Outreach programs don’t give students a leg up. They’re meant to help underrepresented minorities get a foot in the door. Outreach services provide women and minorities with information on college opportunities that they might not otherwise receive.
There’s no question that outreach services should be available to students of all colors. But the bottom line is, outreach programs are remedies for the limited resources of poor schools, many of which are in inner cities and contain large minority populations.
These children deserve to have programming that addresses their specific needs and empowers them with the richness of life’s possibilities. Outreach programs help give these students a leg to stand on.
FELIPE PEREZ
Field Organizer
Californians for Justice
Los Angeles
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