Wayne State law dean:
Diversity backers will prevail post-Proposal 2

Following the passage of Proposal 2, new actions to promote diversity should draw inspiration from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s tactic of appealing to the public's sense of justice, says Frank Wu.

(Photo by Scott Galvin, U-M Photo Services)

"I'm confident that in the next struggle, those of us who care about these issues will prevail," said the dean of the Wayne State University Law School and U-M graduate during the MLK Symposium opening lecture Jan. 8 at the Michigan Union Pendleton Room.

Wu, an Asian-American who grew up in suburban Canton Township, said following the November passage of Proposal 2— a constitutional amendment that bans both discrimination and preferential treatment on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and national origin in public education, employment, and contracting—actions to promote diversity "should not be seen as trying to circumvent the law."

Wu said while King was labeled a "rabble-rouser" when he appeared on the scene in the 1950s, he later recast himself in a more positive light. "He was able to say 'We care about justice,'" Wu said.

Similarly, Wu said new actions to promote diversity could be successful if they are cast to be in everyone's self-interest.

He said a drive to seek justice is an American trait and an opponent of diversity could be challenged by asking, "You claim the same ideals; why don't you roll up your sleeves and join me instead of fighting me?"

(Design by Anne-Marie Kim)

In his book "Yellow—Race in American Beyond Black and White," Wu argues that race is not predominantly an issue between whites and African Americans, but is one involving the growing U.S. population of Asian Americans and Latinos, as well as other groups.

In "Yellow" Wu uses stories from his life growing up, and then attending The Johns Hopkins University and U-M, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and a law degree, respectively.

In his lecture, Wu pointed to expert projections that by 2050 no one racial group will be able to claim majority status in the United States, due to birth rates—suggesting the goal of a diverse society could be inevitable.

Wu challenged the notion that University admission justly could be tied to test score rankings only, saying designers admit that tests are limited in their ability to predict a person's eventual success attending a university or college.

"We've confused credentials with merit," he said.

Turning to observations about discrimination that he often writes about in his books, Wu recalled the recent incident in which actor-comedian Michael Richards—who later claimed not to be racist—widely was criticized for making racial slurs after being heckled at a California comedy club. The incident was captured on video and posted on the popular Web site YouTube.

"In a moment of anger, a moment of stress, a bigotry he is ashamed of emerges," Wu said.

He added everyone should be aware of his or her own subtle bigotry, such as when one who spots an Asian American assumes "he can fix your computer," Wu said, based on the group's perceived success as engineers.