Editor, Daily Nexus:

I was both shocked and depressed upon reading James Black’s Jan. 16 column (Daily Nexus, “Reverse Racism in Education: Affirmative Action Undermines Equal Opportunity in Schools”) regarding the inherent reverse racism in Affirmative Action. With such pearls of wisdom as, “It’s just that white people get the grades,” and “If you go to a school … that denies you academic opportunities because of race or economic status, then I simply suggest you change schools.” Mr. Black’s myopic vision is based upon an insidious assumption: If you just try harder you will succeed. This misguided logic is not new to the world and has been one of the principal tactics used to develop and maintain social injustices and oppressive binaries (man/woman, black/white, white/Mexican, etc.). Please, Mr. Black, if you truly “want us to be equal,” then I suggest you begin to look at the American system as a whole before you begin pointing fingers at institutions that aid minorities. Like all other aspects of our culture, I cannot stress enough that one of the principal roles of our education system is to maintain the status quo.

DAVID ELLIOT KLEIN