A Letter to the Editors
June 28, 2019
Dear Editors,
I read the most recent issue of The Buccaneer and enjoyed it very much, except for one article. I’m afraid I do not agree with the “Maintaining Diversity: Race as a Factor in College Admissions.” We cannot just “accept race as a part of the admissions process” because that is unfair to the qualified students who are rejected from the school of their dreams simply because of their race. Race is not something people can control or change. The argument that using race in the admissions process is needed for understanding racial issues is invalid. There are plenty of ways to teach tolerance without putting others at a disadvantage, which is racist in itself. Harvard is contributing to the exact issues they claim to be working against. I hope you can take my viewpoint into consideration.
Yours truly,
Anika Strite
(Class of 2022)
. • Nov 28, 2019 at 12:55 am
I’m afraid you forget to consider the fact, that due to the history of race relations in this country, or in other words, our past of systematic discrimination, and outright subjugation of certain races, they have been left behind in many walks of life including education. Therefore, in whatever way we can, we must reconcile with that atrocious past by giving resources and quite frankly a helping hand in order to create a fairer quota of diversity in education, and level the playing field to those who lack the privilege that others enjoy. I do agree with you in part though, we should not only people on the basis of their racial background, but also their economic background, so if you weren’t born into an affluent neighborhood because of your race or families economic condition, you should be appreciated for your hard work within the environment that you had to deal with. Thank you so much for writing, and I hope you do the same if you have a concern in the future.