On Tuesday morning at 10 am, The U.C. Berkeley College Republicans will be hosting a satirical “Increase Diversity” bake sale. Students will sell racially price-adjusted pastries in order to protest an Affirmative Action-like bill awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature.
The event’s Facebook page advertises the bake sale, indicating that white males will be charged $2 per pastry while women will receive a $.25 price break. Native Americans will pay as little as $.25 for their pastry purchases.
The group will be considering race, gender, ethnicity, national/ geographic origin and other factors to ensure the “equitable” distribution of baked goods to students, according to the event’s description.
In another event page for the group, the College Republicans urge students to attend because of the effects that this new bill could have on university admissions. They note that their event is meant to be satirical, and hope that it will help their fellow students to think critically about the implications of the new policy.
However, despite the satirical nature of this event, many Berkeley students are not excited about it. Some question the logic of the event, while others are simply embarrassed to go to school with students who are willing to portray blatant racism.
Others are in support of the demonstration. “In no way do I believe this group is trying to be racist,” wrote student Dennis Kim. “They are just trying to raise awareness on new legislation that may come to pass that will allow universities to select applicants based on race and sex.”
All students seem to unanimously agree that this new bill could have immense implications for all California schools. And although the U.C. Berkeley bake sale is highly controversial, the College Republicans have raised awareness and started a discussion, which seems to be their main goal. The ASUC Senate will be meeting to discuss the bill and the bake sale this week.