Statement on “affirmative action bake sale” at the University of Washington

On May 3, 2019, the University of Washington College Republicans held an “affirmative action bake sale” in which baked goods were priced differently based on the ethnicity and gender of the customer. The action was intended as a parody of affirmative-action policies and as a protest of the recent passage of a bill in the state legislature that overturned a ban on affirmative action. The students selling the pastries were met by a vocal crowd of protesters. Police attempted to prevent the confrontation from escalating into violence. Protesters rebuked the bake sale organizers for ridiculing policies intended to redress societal inequities and criticized the university administration for not shutting down an event viewed as disparaging toward minority students. In response, Ana Mari Cauce, president of the University of Washington (UW), issued a statement outlining her views of the event and free speech.

“I have written before about free speech and why we uphold it, even when it is offensive and hateful. In this case it is also important to keep in mind that the number of students involved in the sale is extremely small and certainly not representative of all UW students. They are not even representative of the state College Republican organization…I hope we will not let the actions of this small group detract from other truly wonderful events happening today…. And, let’s keep talking, even when – especially when – it’s tough. ”

Full text

• Acknowledges that the students behind the bake sale were exercising their free speech rights and emphasizes the importance of this principle, noting that affirmative action policies are not immune to criticism.
• Expresses empathy towards the students who took offense and shares her own feelings about the incident.
• Encourages further conversation and respectful dialogue.