Neo-conservatives are "concerned more with the big picture politics than race," said Baker, "a backdrop for neo-conservatives is the politics of rights." Baker said the neo-conservatives abandoned the race issues with the advent of affirmative action programs, which began with President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. "The rhetoric and beliefs [involved] in the about-face of neo-conservatism have been influenced by black neo-conservatives," said Baker. These black neo-conservatives are generally wealthy and in an elite, not representative of the majority of the black population, said Baker.
In his book, Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby,
Professor Stephen Carter of Yale University rejected affirmative action
programs as productive and advantageous to black students. Carter
claims that students who do well and succeed will question whether
their success is due to their intelligence and work ethic or their
race. "How can people feel American if they can not recite the Pledge
of Allegiance?" said Baker, in an argument for affirmative action.
"It is easy for America to ignore merits found under a dark skin,"
said Baker in his closing statement. Affirmative action offers
opportunities to deserving people who may not have the chance to go to
college or have a certain job otherwise. Baker expressed his view that
books like Carter's present illogical arguments presented as fact, that
the wealthy few are standing up for all African Americans.
-- by Laura Trubiano '07
