In 2006, Ward Connerly, Jennifer Gratz and other opponents of affirmative action sought to pass a referendum, disingenuously named the “Michigan Civil Rights Initiative” for a constitutional amendment to ban all race-conscious programs throughout the state of Michigan. After the signatures were submitted to the Secretary of State, and were examined by members of BAMN, it was discovered that MCRI circulators had targeted black and Latino/a neighborhoods for signature gathering and deliberately lied to minority voters about the purpose and intent of the initiative. The allegations were so widespread that the Michigan Civil Rights Commission held four public hearings to take testimony from citizens. The Commission concluded that MCRI had committed voter fraud.
UEAALDF then filed a Voting Rights Act lawsuit to bar the initiative from the ballot. While the judge determined that our evidence and witnesses were credible and those of MCRI were not, he nevertheless allowed the referendum to be placed on the ballot. As a result, in a very racially polarized vote, affirmative action was banned in Michigan.
Operation King’s Dream, et al. v. Connerly et al.
Quotes from Judge Tarnow’s ruling