Asians were charged the most at the University of Texas’ Affirmative Action Bake Sale.
The bake sale was held by a group of young conservatives who are part of the Austin chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas.
The group charged Asian male students $1.50 for baked goods and Asian female students $1.25, whilst charging nothing for ‘natives’.
The young conservatives claimed the purpose of the bake sale was to demonstrate the immorality of discriminating on the basis of race.
“YCT is a truly colorblind organization and believes that all government institutions are constitutionally prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race in all circumstances, including affirmative action,” the group’s Facebook event page read.
The University of Texas, which defends the practice of affirmative action called the affirmative action bake sale “deplorable” and that such discrimination exhibited by the bake sale creates “an environment of exclusion and disrespect among our students, faculty and staff.”
“The West Mall is a place where free speech is exercised by all students, and rightly so, because it is meant to be an arena that inspires dialogue from diverse viewpoints,” the UT Austin Division of Diversity and Community Engagement said in a statement. “However, it is also meant to be a space where students exhibit respect for each other while holding those viewpoints. Although it is their right to do so, it is deplorable that a few students took advantage of this open forum to direct negative sentiment toward their peers.”
“In seeking an audience for their ideas, the YCT resorted to exercising one of the university’s core values to the detriment of others,” the statement continued. “Such actions are counterproductive to true dialogue on our campus, and it is unrepresentative of the ideals toward which our community strives.”
More than 100 classmates showed up to host a counter-protest, calling the bake sale offensive and inappropriate.
“The labeling of races and the different prices of each is unacceptable…” said Jarvis Dillard, a UT freshman and one of the students protesting the bake sale. “White males have privilege above all the other races.”
People have also taken to Twitter to express their outrage. Twitter user Salim K wrote, “These students only bring one word to mind: knuckleheads”
These students only bring one word to mind: knuckleheads. WTH?/’Affirmative Action Bake Sale’ sparks racism protest https://t.co/oX5Ul4YPI3
— Salim K (@sskmote) October 30, 2016
Just as I was thought Millennials are for the greater good. ‘Affirmative Action Bake Sale’ sparks racism protest 😡 https://t.co/ty8qmYiRry
— Shirley Sarker (@sarkyou) October 30, 2016
Kevin Dural and other UT students explain how “aggressive and flaky” the Young Conservatives of Texas club was during their bake sale pic.twitter.com/IelAhrPpIT
— KVR News (@KVRNews) October 26, 2016
The UT “Young Conservatives of Texas” group is having a bake sale right outside where early voting is happening right now & I’m disgusted. pic.twitter.com/3GQZL1Bc3B
— nick (@jadejesleighpez) October 26, 2016
