Black Colleges Recruit in State

“Black Colleges Woo Students Alienated by Prop. 209” (Nov. 25) made me angry. The article’s spin was essentially this: Californians who voted for Prop. 209 do not want blacks participating in state institutions. To my understanding, Prop. 209 ends racially based preferences. The interpretation that this sends a signal to the minority community that they are not wanted in state institutions is not based on the measure. Why couldn’t The Times limit the content to a story about black colleges that seek out disadvantaged African Americans and help and encourage them through a quality four-year college education?

The same story could have easily been presented as follows: Black colleges are capitalizing on the unsubstantiated fears of blacks that they are unwelcome in California’s university system. These recruiters’ efforts are focused on the African American community. Recruitment efforts specifically excluded Latinos, Asians and all other non-African Americans.

JOHN L. SCOTT

Granada Hills

*

Black students are needed and wanted on our UC campuses. There continue to be many programs and many people at UC schools working on behalf of the administration to see that minority students are helped and made to feel wanted.

We can’t afford to lose the resources and contributions of black students. We can only hope that their first option is to attend other schools in California or elsewhere that do meet their standards for an integrated education. If they do choose historically black schools, they should work at those schools to promote the cause of integration there as well.

KENNETH G. PETRULIS

Los Angeles