Michigan hoops coaches speak out on affirmative action

NEWS RELEASE

ONE UNITED MICHIGAN

************************* Michigan's college basketball coaches say Proposal 2 is bad for Michigan

LANSING, Mich., Oct. 30 - Defeating Proposal 2 is critical to maintaining diversity on college campuses and ensuring a level playing field for all in Michigan, top college basketball coaches said today at an Okemos news conference. Tom Izzo and Joanne P. McCallie of Michigan State University, Tommy Amaker of the University of Michigan, Ernie Zeigler of Central Michigan University and David Greer of Wayne State University said they were speaking as individuals and not on behalf of their universities.

They also noted that they usually avoid getting involved in politics, but that this issue is important to them personally.

Proposal 2 is a proposed constitutional amendment to immediately eliminate affirmative action programs that have helped women and people of color have an equal opportunity at education and jobs in Michigan.

Also opposing Proposal 2, but unable to attend today's event are Perry Watson of the University of Detroit Mercy, Charles Ramsey of Eastern Michigan University and Steve Hawkins of Western Michigan University. "Everyone knows I'm not political," said Izzo. "But this year I'm going to tell you how I'm going to vote on one issue. If someone asks me about Proposal 2, I'm going to say 'It's bad for you.'" "I know what it takes to build a team, and that is diversity," he added. "We need all kinds of players on our team, and we need all kinds of students on our campus if we are going to be successful in building the Michigan of tomorrow." University of Michigan men's basketball coach Tommy Amaker said passage of Proposal 2 would send the nation a negative message about Michigan.

"I'm not a Michigan native, but have come to call this state home," he said. "I want to be proud of my home because it is a place that is welcoming to all. If Proposal 2 passes, it will send a message that the state doesn't care about equal opportunity or diversity."

Ernie Zeigler, head men's basketball coach at Central Michigan University and former assistant coach at the University of California Los Angeles, told the group he knows first hand how important diversity and affirmative action is to college athletics. "I just came from UCLA and you know there is a problem when African American, Latino and Native American students make up 45 percent of the high school graduates in California and only 19 percent of the college freshmen at public universities," said Ziegler. "That gap has grown since passage of Proposition 209 in that state." Proposition 209, passed in California in 1996, is identical to Proposal 2. "We're not political heavyweights," said Zeigler. "We're just coaches who work with eager young men from all over the state, including the urban community. We know these young men deserve an opportunity. And they will repay you if you just give them a chance." McCallie said that affirmative action programs have opened the door to women's sports. "We can't close that door now," she said. "The lessons women learn from sports are so important to their futures." The National Association of Basketball Coaches, representing men's college coaches around the nation, recently voted to oppose Proposal 2. "The NABC has consistently championed the importance of providing opportunities for minorities in higher education," said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. "Affirmative action is a cornerstone in the ongoing campaign to eliminate discrimination and to provide diversity in our society. This is especially meaningful on the campuses of our colleges and universities." One United Michigan steering committee co-chair Debbie Dingell said the coaches' endorsements will have an impact on the election. "These are people who know about building a team that can succeed. When respected leaders like these say they oppose Proposal 2, it makes others think about this issue carefully. The more people know about how this proposal will impact Michigan, the more likely they are to vote No on Proposal 2." One United Michigan is a coalition of more than 200 organizations, including the League of Women Voters, AARP, religious leaders from the Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Jewish, Muslim and other faiths, business groups including chambers of commerce from Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Holland, Muskegon, Grand Rapids and other cities, and labor organizations including the AFL-CIO, UAW, Teamsters and others. For more information about One United Michigan and the fight to support equal opportunity programs in Michigan, please visit http://www.oneunitedmichigan.org

Paid for with regulated funds by One United Michigan, P. O. Box 81156, Lansing, MI 48908

*************************