Module #7

Find and summarize an example of an effort to update or challenge a state constitution… it can be any state in the US and any time, recent or not.

I wanted to focus on California Proposition 16, which would have repealed Proposition 209, which banned the use of affirmative action in the public sector. California rejected the proposition in November 2020, with 57% of voters voting against it. While race-neutral stances appear to be an equalizer in some cases (apparently college admissions), many proponents of Proposition 16 argue that Proposition 209 simply perpetuates the harmful, apathetic belief that race is not a factor in people's lived experiences. As the supporters of Prop 16 propose, race is really at the core of American identity, and it makes no sense to be barred from considering it in the public sector, especially in education and employment. They argue that race-neutral attitudes are not remedying the rampant amount of discrimination and hate within the state itself. They argue that the recent surges in violence against minorities, especially violence against the Black and Asian communities, have made people reflect on the deep-seated disparities within the state where they were previously more oblivious due to California's race-neutral stance. I am curious to see if this proposition will be brought up again in future ballots, and whether or not it will be approved.