Michelle Malkin and LaShawn Barber posted this today.

At issue is Emily Smith, a white student who was accepted to an Urban Journalism Workshop sponsored by taxpayer-supported Virginia Commonwealth University, the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, and the Richmond Times Dispatch.

She was hired based on her qualifications, and then rejected based on her race.

Smith Sued and won her case and now the UJW is open to all races.

From LaShawn:

Well, the case has been resolved in her favor. Last month, the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Media Group Corporation, and Virginia Commonwealth University agreed to open the summer workshop to all races. Apparently, the agreement applies to workshops at other schools as well. Download a PDF copy of the settlement agreement. (Also see Journalism Programs to Be Race Blind)

She then addresses argument about the necessity for affirmitve actoin type reverse discrimination programs and makes a critical distinction.

One can make an argument that programs for “minorities” are necessary, given the seemingly intractable academic achievement gap problem and other disadvantages that disproportionately affect certain minorities (poor family formation, fatherless homes, etc). Private entities have the “freedom of association” to do just that, but public entities do not. It is against the law to discriminate against people on the basis of race, and taxpayers should not be coerced into supporting illegal programs. We do it all the time with illegal “immigration,” of course, but that’s a separate matter.

Heh.  Yes we do and yes it is. 

The Money quote is here:

As I’ve said many times, a government with the power to discriminate against whites and in favor of minorities can wield that same power to discriminate against minorities and in favor of whites. It should not have the power to do either.

Bingo. 

She closes with an odd bit o trivia.

Because of skin deep-only preferences, black Africans and children of recent African immigrants are overrepresented in colleges and universities, at the expense of the descendants of black American slaves, for whom so-called affirmative action was created. (Source)

Ironic…

Bottom line, any kind of discrimination based on race is wrong.