Vote NO on Proposal 2 !

The Michigan "Civil Rights" Initiative Ballot Proposal is now called Proposal 2 on the ballot.

Rally to preserve
Affirmative Action in Michigan

When:      Thursday October 12 2006 – Noon

Where:   Gullen Mall at Wayne State University

Why:    To protect Fairness, Opportunity and Outreach for all Michigan citizens

Who:   Olga Vives, NOW Executive Vice President, and Maxine Berman, Director of Special Projects Governor’s Office for Southeast Michigan
Other speakers to be announced

Sponsored by: WSU’s Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, Michigan NOW, One United Michigan and Michigan United

Click HERE for a flyer to promote the rally

Basic Information About Proposal 2, or MCRI the Campaign

Slide Show Presentation on MCRI/Proposition 2 NEW

Quick Summary - Despite many legal challenges, the citizens of Michigan will vote on a ballot proposal to amend the state constitution.

The Ballot Language - This is the language the Board of State Canvassers approved to appear on the November 7, 2006 ballot.  By law it cannot exceed 100 words.  It differs from the language in the actual amendment that will go into the Michigan Constitution.

The Amendment Language - If the MCRI passes, this is what will go in the Michigan Constitution

One United Michigan - The 501c4 and ballot committee organization educating Michigan about the benefits of affirmative action and the threat to it posed by MCRI. One United Michigan is a coalition of over 100 mainstream organizations opposing the California Amendment that ends affirmative action.The Steering Committee is composed of representatives of Michigan State AFL-CIO, NAACP, American Federation of Teachers – Michigan, Michigan Catholic Conference, National Women’s Political Caucus, American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Detroit Renaissance, Michigan Education Association, United Auto Workers, and New Detroit.  Michigan NOW is a coalition member. Visit their website at www.oneunitedmichigan.org. Mary Pollock is Michigan NOW’s representative to One United Michigan and Michigan United. She can be contacted at mcri@michnow.org.

Potential Impact of MCRI - The University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women has published an article about the potential impact of MCRI on employment, education, and contracting.

Talking About Affirmative Action - Myths and facts about affirmative action

Colorblindness - MCRI proponents say that by passing this measure, it will ensure that Michigan is a colorblind society.  Read about where the theory of colorblindness comes from and why it is The Big Lie.

MCRI Doesn’t End Preferences - The deceptive language in MCRI prohibits discrimination or preferential treatment.  Read why MCRI doesn’t really end preferences.

MI GOP opposes the Ward Connerly "civil rights" ballot initiative

By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) - A national organization not in the One United Michigan/Michigan United coalition that opposes MCRI. Connected with them is Operation King’s Dream.  Its tactics differ considerably from those of the mainstream organizations in One United Michigan.

Americans for a Fair Chance - A good national resource on affirmative action is Americans for a Fair Chance, a project of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. You may sign up for its excellent e-newsletter covering national affirmative action news.  It has established a special Web page for Michigan news.

Michigan Civil Rights Initiative - In the spirit of knowing your enemy, visit thiose site. Ward Connerly of Sacramento, California is the financial and driving force behind the Initiative. He successfully led similar constitutional amendment initiatives in California in 1996 and Washington state in 1998.  Jennifer Gratz of Sacremento, California is the Executive Director of the MCRI campaign.  She was the named plaintiff in the winning challenge to the University of Michigan’s undergraduate minority admissions program.

Toward a Fair Michigan (TFM) - An East Lansing-based organization led by MSU Professor of Political Science William Allen is Toward a Fair Michigan. Its President and Treasurer is Barbara Grutter, the losing named plaintiff in Grutter v Bollinger, the challenge to the University of Michigan’s law school minority admissions program.  TFM purports to support an open debate about the pros and cons of MCRI, but it's leadership are opposed to what it calls affirmative action preferences.  It chooses both the pro and con speakers for the debates it offers to the public.

How MCRI Got on the Ballot - A short story on MCRI's attempt to get on the ballot.

Polls show MCRI failing.

Take Action, What you can do to defeat MCRI

Women and Affirmative Action

Michigan Women Speak!  We need your stories about how affirmative action has helped girls and women!  Send us your story by filling out this short form(opens a PDF)and sending it in.

The Gender Impact of the Proposed Michigan Civil Rights Initiative by Susan Kaufmann and Anne K. Davis, Center for the Education of Women, University of Michigan, November 2005    This is the definitive article outlining what has happened in California since Proposition 209, the California Civil Rights Initiative, passed.  Proposition 209 has almost identical wording to the proposed Michigan amendment language.
This link opens a PDF file.

Facts on Affirmative Action and Women by Americans for A Fair Chance, a project of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund

Bona Fide Qualification – Section 5 of the Amendment     Section 5 of the amendment permits sex discrimination if it is a bona fide qualification.  Read what this means.

Inforum Report - Read about the participation of women in corporate Michigan. Or the lack of participation to be more precise.
This link opens a PDF file.

University of Michigan Cases

Grutter v Bollinger Summary - A summary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Grutter v Bollinger, the decision that the MCRI campaign is attempting to overturn with a Michigan constitution amendment. 

University of Michigan FAQ about the affirmative action lawsuits against them and the impact on the University if affirmative action is abolished. 

University of Michigan Web site containing extensive materials about its defense of affirmative action.

Ward Connerly

Extremist - Read what Ward Connerly said in a Detroit Free Press interview.

Know Your Right Wing Speakers article about Ward Connerly's background.