L'Heureux Lewis

I don't think it's difficult to imagine what the University of Michigan would be like without affirmative action. All we have to do is simply go to a library and look at the pictures of old classes. When we look and we veer past white male face after white male face after white male face, we would realize what will occur if affirmative action isn't used to achieve a different class, a different look, a representative look. I grew up in a working class neighborhood in Connecticut where my father was the first black police officer on the police force, where my father was one of the first black state troopers. Affirmative action has been with me and with my family. So when I went to school, I understood that the opportunities that I had were a product of that and even though I was in an area that wasn't the inner city, I knew that in order for my life to be successful and to have opportunities affirmative action had to be there. Affirmative action has really been important to me. At the University of Michigan, as a benefactor, there's offices, a multi-ethnic student affairs office, there's a black student union, there are resources for students of color that I know wouldn't have been there if it weren't for affirmative action. For me it's not a point of contention or anger because I realize that most folks in their own arrogance refuse to see that which is placed in front of them and when I continue to interact with them, hopefully by showing them the glaring contradiction in their views, maybe they'll at least take note. They may not agree with me, but will realize affirmative action did impact their lives.
I am L'Heureux Lewis. I am African-American. I go to University of Michigan

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