California's Classification by Race, Ethnicity, Color, or National Origin

This sub-page is devoted to investigating the proposed constitutional amendment, officially titled Classification by Race, Ethnicity, Color, or National Origin, scheduled to appear on the March 2004 California primary election ballot. As concerned groups and individuals continue to speak out both for and against its passage, this page will be updated to register these shifts in public and private opinion. Two governing questions for this sub-page of the Affirmative Action and Diversity Project are these: How are those most affected by this proposition reacting to the issue? What will the implications be for California and for the nation as a whole?

Also, viewers might want to cross-reference the News and Announcements page for an up-to-date chronology of Affirmative Action news items.

This page last revised September 10, 2002.

Initiative text: http://www.racialprivacy.org/language.htm

News and Campaigns

September 5, 2002: This year, the number of African Americans matriculating at UCSF has dropped to five in a first-year class of 144. See article Fewer blacks go to med schools.

July 15, 2002: An initiative to ban the state from racially classifying students and state employees has qualified for the March 2004 primary election ballot. Titled "Classification by Race, Ethnicity, Color or National Origin," the constitutional amendment proposed by of California regent Ward Connerly would prohibit separating, sorting or organizing individuals based on their race. The initiative does not prohibit classification by sex. See article Racial privacy initiative makes 2004 ballot.

July 10, 2002: Campaign finance reform groups on Tuesday filed a complaint with state elections officials in an attempt to force backers of a controversial ballot initiative to reveal the source of more than $1.5 million in campaign contributions. See articles Connerly disclosure battle rages and Who gave the money?

July 9, 2002: The nation's oldest black civil rights organization voted Tuesday to oppose a ballot initiative that would bar the state of California from classifying residents by race. The resolution to oppose University of California regent Ward "Racial Privacy Initiative" and similar ballot measures was approved by delegates at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's annual convention. See article NAACP opposes California initiative to bar racial classifying.

April 23, 2002: A proposed ballot initiative to bar government agencies from collecting information on race would hurt California, former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles, and others said today. Several bar associations and elected officials, including Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, have gone on record in opposition to the proposed initiative. See article Race Information.

April 19, 2002: Ward Connerly is challenging the residents of California with colorblindness with his Racial Privacy Initiative, a ballot measure that would end the notation of race on state-government forms. See articles Connerly seeks end to race notation and California affirmative action foe wants no recording race.

April 5, 2002: As Ward Connerly's supporters race to collect enough signatures to put another controversial race initiative on the November ballot, several East Bay and minority lawyer groups have lined up against it. See article Lawyers Line Up Against New Initiative.

April 3, 2002: Ward Connerly, a University of California Regent who led a drive that banned state and local government affirmative action programs six years ago, is rushing to meet an April 19 deadline to file petitions. "We are going to make it," Connerly predicted. "I am very optimistic." He has increased payments to signature-gatherers and is seeking more money for the final push. See article Connerly rushing to get another race-based initiative on ballot.

March 15, 2002: University faculty and public policy researchers are up in arms over a proposed initiative that would bar most public agencies from collecting individual racial and ethnic information. See article Racial privacy initiative ignites upset; Connerly plan would limit agencies' collection of data.

February 4, 2002: University of California Regent Ward Connerly is behind an initiative that would ban state agencies, including the UC, from collecting racial and ethnic data. See article UC regent Connerly pushes racial initiative.

January 26, 2002: Leaders of several minority groups gathered at the downtown ballpark construction site yesterday to protest Padres owner John Moores' support of a controversial race-based initiative. The groups called on Moores to renounce the Racial Privacy Initiative, which would ban most public agencies in the state from compiling racial and ethnic data. See article Minority groups blast owner of Padres over race-based initiative; Moores' support prompts protest.

June 4, 2001: Sending more than 1,400 letters to Republican foot soldiers around the state, California GOP Secretary Shannon Reeves denounced the initiative as unwise, untimely and divisive. Reeves says Connerly's first initiative "lost the governor's mansion, the Assembly. . ." Days after Reeves' rebuke, the GOP withdrew its support and Connerly rescheduled his ballot drive for next year. See article State GOP Secretary Has Rare Quality--Street Credibility.

June 2, 2001: California Journal interview with Connerly

April 14, 2001: An initiative drive that would prohibit the state from collecting racial data on individuals has sparked opposition from civil rights organizations. Ward Connerly, a University of California regent who championed the end of affirmative action, began collecting signatures this week to put an initiative on the March ballot that would outlaw tracking race in everything from university admissions to the makeup of school districts. See article Connerly Starts Push to End Tracking Race.

Responses:

American Civil Rights Coalition, a group formed by Ward Connerly to support the initiative. Site includes partial list of supporters of the initiative.

June 4, 2002: Connerly Initiative Promotes Racial Balkanization byYvonne Scruggs-Leftwich, executive director of the, national Black Leadership Forum Inc.

May 30, 2002: So-called "Racial Privacy Initiative" Will Fail to Qualify for November 2002 Ballot. Despite Well-Funded Signature Phase, Connerly's Information Ban Is On the Ropes, Say Analysts. Press Release by Coalition for an Informed California.

April 23, 2002: Doctors, Educators, Civil Rights Leaders Across California Vow to Defeat Dangerous Race Information Ban by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Why is information on race so important? by the National Lawyers Guild.

April 27, 2001: Oppose Ward Connerly's Racial Ignorance Initiative by the Asian Law Caucus.

No on Connerly's Race Information Ban!ACLU of Northern California Response includes partial list of groups opposed to the initiative.

March 2002: Stop Ward Connerly's "Racial Privacy Initiative" by the NationalLawyers Guild San Francisco Area Chapter.

Winter 2001-2002: Hiding Race Daniel Hosang of the Center for Third World Organizing argues against the initiative in this article from ColorLines Magazine, a publication of the Applied Research Center.

December 31, 2001: California Initiative Seeks to End Racial Classifications by John Rossomando, staff writer for conservativenews.org.

June 2001: California Teachers Association State Council opposes initiative.

Americans Against Discrimination and Preferences. This conservative organization's home page devotes a section to the initiative, providing editorials and news links.