Why is affirmative action important for higher education?

"As a woman, a Mexican-American and a successful academic, I realize that I am a role model. It is very important that educators such as me are more visible and available to all undergraduates, but especially to those who are first-generation college students."
SUSANNA DE FALLA
Central New Mexico Community College

"We only guarantee the diversity of ideas for our academic marketplace by having a diversity of people generating these ideas."
JOSEPH SOLER
Temple University Graduate Students Association (Pa.)

"Affirmative action provides opportunity for those who have had a harder hill to climb in reaching competencies for higher education. Having such students in the mix in higher ed is extremely beneficial to all. It adds the dimension of class, race, ethnic and gender differences and common goals, and an ability to understand multiple perspectives."
ANCA VLASOPOLOS
Wayne State University AAUP/AFT Faculty (Mich.)

"No one can quite walk in another's shoes. During the 40+ years I worked at CUNY, I found the participation of students from many different backgrounds and also different genders extremely enlightening and challenging."
ANN SPRAYREGEN
Professional Staff Congress (N.Y.), retired

"We need to have an environment of fairness and inclusion of everyone. You can see from this current election how our previous efforts have paid off: People, especially young people, are voting without a regard to race or sex, which would have been impossible a generation ago."
BARBARA HARMON
Los Angeles Community College Staff Guild