Race-Based Scholarships

Forty-five minutes before the hearing of the House Government Operations subcommittee, Secretary of the Department of Education Lamar Alexander and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Michael Williams announced that colleges and universities should continue providing scholarships for minorities while the Department of Education conducted an investigation into the issue. He said it would be “all right” if his announcement undercut the impact of the Government Operations subcommittee’s hearing on race-based scholarships. In the hearing, the committee heard testimony on race-based scholarships from Mr. Williams, who had informed the Fiesta Bowl in December 1990 that they would violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if they provided a scholarship fund specifically for minority students. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race by publicly funded institutions. Mr. Williams' ruling was modified but not rescinded by the Department of Education. Mr. Williams testified under the threat of a subpoena by the subcommittee, and the committee voted to issue a subpoena for Richard Komer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy of the Department of Education. Mr. Williams said the decision on the scholarship ruling was his alone. close