By Ava Klein
Staff Writer
In a commendable attempt to provide equal opportunities for underprivileged students, the nonprofit organization Former Majority Association for Equality is giving Caucasian males a $500 scholarship grant for college.
The FMAE’s goal is to award this scholarship to five underprivileged Caucasian males per year, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Despite claims to the contrary, this scholarship is not discriminator. Rather, it gives needy and deserving white males an opportunity at a college education.
While FMAE’s policies may initially seem racist, all students, including white males, deserve an equal and fair chance at a college education.
This is not the first whites-only scholarship to draw attention in recent years. In 2004, a student Republican organization at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island offered a $250 whites-only scholarship.
The FMAE and other organizations have been scrutinized for displaying white supremacy, and the FMAE is fully aware that their white-only policy would inspire questions about racism.
However, the group does not accept donations from organizations that are affiliated with white supremacy or hate groups.
Many scholarship programs exist for underprivileged minorities, but Caucasian males are generally not represented. For example, Bill Gates established the Gates Millennium Scholarship fund, disbursing scholarship money to every ethnic group except Caucasians.
Caucasians are just as deserving as other groups and should be given similar opportunities. If there are scholarships and loan programs set aside for Latinos, Asians and African-Americans, there should be similar scholarship opportunities for white males who face the same hardships.
Poor economic conditions are capable of negatively impacting Caucasians and their futures as well. In 2010, the white poverty rate was 8.6 percent, which, similar to minority groups, has increased from 8.3 percent in 2009.
Each racial group has an underprivileged population that is in need of aide because it cannot pay for a college education.
Poverty doesn’t just affect minorities. Caucasian males that suffer from financial hardships must be recognized and aided.
All students, regardless of ethnicity, deserve a chance to succeed and go to college. Scholarships should be given to students based on merit and their financial situation.
Whether one is of African-American, Latino, Caucasian or Indian descent, everyone deserves a chance at a better future.
Oh cry me a river. This author, like most people living in MB, probably never heard of the term hegemony. Sell your million dollar homes, give it charities, move in to Watts, and I’ll pay for your kids’ college.
Lorrie – If you would be interested in voicing your opinions in a letter, we would be more than happy to print it in our newspaper. We are always looking for responses to our articles, and you can find the information for writing letters at our contact page: http://www.lavistamchs.com/contact/
-Jason Boxer
La Vista Managing Web Editor