Obama talked of race issues in 1999 debate

SPRINGFIELD - Tuesday's speech about race in America was not the first time Chicago Democrat Barack Obama has talked publicly and pointedly about the topic.

In 1999, when serving as an Illinois state senator, Obama was among the state lawmakers opposing efforts to force state universities to turn over student admission information to a conservative group opposed to affirmative action. This came as several universities around the country - most notably the University of Michigan - were facing legal challenges to their admission practices and policies.

On May 20, 1999, the state Senate debated the proposal - sponsored by Republican Walter Dudycz - that urged nine Illinois universities to turn over the information.

More Coverage Stories Text of Obama's 1999 speech

The ensuing debate was so divisive that Dudycz withdrew the initiative before a vote could occur.

Obama was among those opposing the measure, contending that it was the legislature's job, not that of a special interest group working through the courts, to determine affirmative action policy.

In language that foreshadowed his speech nearly nine years later, he said, "I don't accuse those who object to affirmative action of being racist, per se. I think it is a difficult, complicated issue."

Here is the official transcript of Sen. Obama's comments from that debate:

"Just a couple of brief points that I think some of my colleagues on this side of the aisle have already made but I - I want to reiterate. The background of this issue is that there is an organization in Washington, D.C., that is systematically attempting to dismantle affirmative action in public universities all across the country. That is their stated intent, and that's what they have been actually quite successful in doing. Now, part of their legal strategy is to obtain these records of admissions criteria so that it will serve as the basis for their lawsuits, their litigation.

Now, I don't think it's any secret, and so I'm willing to state here, publicly, to the Chamber, that if you look at the statistics, we can anticipate what's going to be in the statistics, which is why they're looking for 'em. They want the statistics because we know, by definition, that affirmative action means that the minority students may have lower test scores than the white students who were admitted to these universities. That's the essence of affirmative action.

And, philosophically, the reason that these universities have instituted these programs and, historically, affirmative action has been in place is because we, as a society, have made an estimation that minority students historically have been denied the kinds of education opportunities that allowed them to compete on these standardized tests because they're going to Chicago public schools that haven't been performing up to snuff, because a disproportionate number of these students may be first generation college attendees and so aren't the sons of doctors and lawyers or legacies who are experienced in the educational systems that they have to participate, because they're generally low-income, because many of them have to take after-school jobs to fund their education.

For a whole host of reasons, including the history of this country, we know that minority students, at this juncture in our history, have lower test scores. All right? Now, I just want to be clear, Senator Dudycz, that that is the reason that this organization is trying to get these records, so that they can use it in a lawsuit at a time when the climate and support for affirmative action is relatively low and where the majority groups in our society don't feel the obligation to extend themselves towards these less-advantaged groups. And I understand that.

But - but I guess I would urge all those in the Chamber today, before we vote on this resolution, to think about what our real commitment as a state and as a society should be towards these groups that, historically, have been disadvantaged. And I want to emphasize the point that Senator Clayborne made. What has happened, for example, in the University of Michigan, is when these records came out, the first thing was - that was done was, it was published in the school newspaper, and, immediately, essentially every minority student on that campus was under suspicion as being incompetent, unqualified, shouldn't be there, to their great embarrassment. It didn't matter how hard they were working. It didn't matter whether they were now getting A's and - and had shown themselves qualified to be in these institutions. They were under a cloud that they could not erase. And that was part of the political strategy to build momentum to dismantle affirmative action at the University of Michigan. Now, that is not the kind of society that, I guess, I want to cultivate.

And I think that reasonable minds can differ on the issue of affirmative action, but my suggestion would be that if, in fact, we want to have a full-scale debate about affirmative action and whether it's appropriate in state universities, then I think the honorable thing to do would be for us to debate that issue here in this Chamber. And if we, as legislators, want this information to inform that debate, let's do it here in this Chamber. But I do not think it is appropriate for a Washington, D.C., think tank, a mercenary organization that is - we know what side of the issue they're on, to provide ammunition for them to try to fuel a debate that, in fact, we do not have the guts to engage in right here in this Chamber.

I would urge all of those of you who want to have an honest debate about this issue, I will be happy to participate in it. And I don't accuse those who object to affirmative action of being racist, per se. I think it is a difficult, complicated issue because we have a difficult and complicated history when it - we're talking about race relations in this country. But I would suggest that - don't use this as a fig leaf to try to dismantle affirmative action and don't let somebody else from Washington do our dirty work for us. If we truly want to dismantle affirmative action in public universities in this state, let's have the guts to do it in this Chamber. I would urge a No vote on this resolution."