Colleges and Universities have an unhealthy preoccupation with the ethnicity of their students.

Minorities in College---Good News, But...

If our institutions of higher education have a duty to equalize Black and Latino achievement with that of whites...

No, they do not. Institutions of higher education have the duty to provide quality education to all students without regard for their racial or ethnic background. This is especially true of public universities which are bound by the 14th amendment.

There is no reason why individuals from a particular racial or ethnic group MUST be less successful than individuals from other groups. Do American's of German ancestry outperform Americans whose ancestors came from Britain? Certainly not that I've ever seen or heard. The reason is that, by and large, the values and culture of these two groups are the same.

Character is destiny, and the character of a nation or a community is defined through its values and its culture. When these are good, then the individuals of this community are able to more fully realize their potential. But when these are bad, the members of the community are held back by them, and lead limited and stunted lives.

This is what must change, and no one in higher education is in a position to make this happen. The parents and teachers and cultural leaders, and most of all the students, from these blighted communities are the only ones who can improve things for themselves. They are the only ones who can redefine what it means to be a member of that community to include achievement and success.

The only thing a university can do, is work to provide the same opportunities to all. Equality of outcome is neither possible nor equitable. It leads to tribal warfare and tyranny. Equality of opportunity is the only promise of equality that can be actually be kept.