Baron Davis Wants More Black People at UCLA

But he doesn't want them to be very good at sports. He'd prefer them to be the kinds of people who are taken last in intramural sports -- you know, the smart kids.

This year, Davis and former UCLA football player Brendon Ayanbadejo formed a group called "We Should Not Be the Only Ones," whose name references the concern that an athletic scholarship could be the lone path to UCLA for African American high school students if things don't change. Something had to be done after this year's UCLA freshman class had fewer than 100 African Americans - the lowest number in 30 years - among the 4,700 new students.

Less than 100, out of 4,700? What are they, Major League Baseball? That is a staggeringly low number. There are truck driving schools in North Dakota that have more black students. But that's a number that should have UCLA very concerned, if not outright embarrassed.

And they owe Baron Davis and Brendon Ayanbadejo (NFL linebacker with the Chicago Bears) a debt of gratitude for noticing, and hopefully, kicking them in the ass to do something about it. And this excellent J.A. Adande article points out, Baron is passionate about the subject, he's got concrete ideas to help spur change, and hopefully, the university will help him out.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-30-2007 @ 2:57AM

Colin said...

Man am I glad Ward Connerly decided to pull the same shit on my university. I sure would love for a2, bastion of liberalism, free though, opportunity, etc. that it is, to have even fewer blacks than it already does. I'm not convinced that AA is the best system ever, but bathwater, baby, etc, you know?

Carl Cohen hasn't gotten to me yet.

3-30-2007 @ 5:59AM

ScottBruin said...

Why should UCLA be embarrassed? It's the school's job to be blind to race. It's society's job to make sure that when we're blind to race, all the races get a fair shake. Right now, blacks don't get a fair shake. But don't blame a college for not letting in less qualified students to try and fix the problem in one of the worst ways to fix it. Start with elementary schools, not universities.

3-30-2007 @ 8:54AM

Stacey Franchise said...

lol... I had 10 blacks in my high school senior class, and we graduated 47 kids.

Granted, this was tony Duxbury, Massachusetts... and the black kids were all bank president's sons... but 100 blacks out of 4700- especially in Cali- is a bit more than a red herring.

Not that UCLA is without defenders. "This isn't fair," said Bruin alum Bill Walton. "We also took six Mexicans and a Jew."

Granted, Death Row Records was 99.99999% black, but white people can't rap. That's diff'ent.

It'd be cool if evolution worked out so that all sports were entirely black by 2050 AD, and that Todd Crow laws were put into professional sports so that each team would be forced to carry a certain number of American Whites on their roster.

"I'm not the owner's son, damnit... I'm the 4th backup small forward."

3-30-2007 @ 8:57AM

I could also deal with a military-enforced desegregation of the hip-hop industry. I want to be Suge Knight's government-required Token White posse member.

Hey.. someone has to be able to flag down a cab. What a brother know!

3-30-2007 @ 1:08PM

jeff said...

UCLA is one of the most selective schools in california and probably the country as far as state schools go. I think over 40,000 apply each year. But when it comes to athletics UCLA is one of the most lenient when it comes to lowering standards to athletes. Some of Baron's ideas seem good, but I gotta agree with scott that this is a failure of elementary and high school education.

3-30-2007 @ 4:08PM

Dave said...

It's probably worth noting that as of the 2000 Census, only about 7% of the CA population is black (59% white, 11% Asian, 21% mixed or non-reporting; 32% Hispanic).

3-31-2007 @ 9:24AM

Dave...run those demographics for the Los Angeles area, please.

3-31-2007 @ 4:19PM

LA is 9.7%

3-31-2007 @ 5:05PM

100 out of 4700 is, ummm, a lot less than 9.7%.

3-31-2007 @ 5:31PM

Reggie Miller said...

The minority entrance rates at UCLA even out with those of white people once you factor in UCLA's 3.2 million Asian students.

4-02-2007 @ 2:14PM

James De Rose said...

Why the racial slap at Major League Baseball? Do you ever see white (or even Spanish) athletes complaining that Pro football or Pro basketball is dominated by blacks?
Anyway, back to the topic.The report is inconclusive not stating how many blacks actually applied for admission at UCLA as well as how they fared on ACT,PSAT college entrance exams. Stop the excuses. The problem is not at UCLA. It is in the guidance counselors offices at these students High Schools. Hey Baron Davis! Do your research at this level first before you precede to go nationwide.
James De Rose

4-08-2007 @ 12:55AM

ben said...

The attrition rate of AA students at UCLA when affirmative action was active was very, very high. The university had certain "black only" tutorial services where whites and asians were barred, but even these attempts by the university failed. Why? Because they were just not ready to deal with the academic rigors and the competition. Yes, 100 is very low, but these AA students that were accepted based on academics will most likely graduate and hopefully go on to graduate school. UCLA is by no means anti-AA. Look at the history...Ralph Bunche, Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe.