California bill would allow public university admission priority for slaves' descendants
California lawmakers are set to consider a bill that would require the state's public universities to give admission priority to the descendants of slaves
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California lawmaker introduced a bill Monday to allow admission priority to the descendants of slaves at the University of California and California State University, two of the largest public university systems in the nation.
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles and authored the legislation, said it would help rectify past and current discrimination at universities.
“For decades universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors, and their family members, while others tied to legacies of harm were ignored and at times outright excluded,” Bryan told The Associated Press. “We have a moral responsibility to do all we can to right those wrongs.”
Lawmakers also convened a special session Monday to consider ways to protect the state’s progressive policies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
