Press Release
AALDEF and Civil Rights Groups To Join UT-Austin Students for Affirmative Action Town Hall
On October 2, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will join University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) student associations, We Support UT and the Multicultural Engagement Center, for a night of learning and dialogue around the Fisher v. UT-Austin affirmative action case. The event will be held at UT-Austin on Tuesday, October 2 in Burdine 106 from 7pm to 9pm.
AALDEF Educational Equity attorney Thomas Mariadason will speak on a panel with Damon Hewitt, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (NAACP LDF), and Karolina Lyznik, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). Dr. Eric Tang of the Center for Asian American Studies and African & African Diaspora Studies at UT-Austin will moderate the panel, with UT-Austin students taking part in the discussion.
“Asian Americans are often used as a wedge group in the debate over diversity considerations despite our community’s steadfast support for affirmative action,” said Mariadason. “We welcome this opportunity to engage with students at UT-Austin and openly discuss the role of diversity in making UT-Austin the dynamic learning environment that it is.”
In August, AALDEF filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold UT-Austin’s use of diversity considerations in its admissions process for promoting equal opportunity for all Americans. Opening arguments in Fisher will begin in the Supreme Court on October 10.
The October 2 town hall will provide UT-Austin students a chance to learn about the Fisher case from a multi-racial coalition of national civil rights organizations and share ideas on voicing support for the University of Texas at Austin. Further details are available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wesupportut and Twitter @wesupportut.
EVENT INFORMATION
Event: We Support UT and the Multicultural Engagement Center Town Hall on Fisher v. UT-Austin
Time and Location: October 2 in Burdine 106, UT-Austin, from 7pm to 9pm
Speakers:
Thomas Mariadason, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Damon Hewitt, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
Karolina Lyznik, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Moderator: Dr. Eric Tang, Center for Asian American Studies and African & African Diaspora Studies at UT-Austin
Press Contact:
Ujala Sehgal
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
212-966-5932 ext. 217
usehgal@aaldef.org