tile workplace and denying blacks promotions. The plaintiffs said they endured racial slurs and graffiti. T.G. Lee maintained it did nothing wrong. The dairy has hired and promoted more minorities and launched a diversity-training program since the suits were filed. Later that year, California's affirmative action ban became law, sparking protests. Thousands streamed across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to show disapproval of the law. Following California, John Barry of Orlando organized the Florida Civil Right Initiative, which would ban racial and gender preferences in state hiring, contracting and college admissions. A similar group, the Campaign for Florida's Future, came about in West Palm Beach. A coalition called Floridians Representing Equity and Equality emerged to protect affirmative action. Currently, Florida's black legislators are organizing an effort against Bush's plan to prohibit the admission of students to public universities based upon race. Last week, higher education leaders gave it preliminary approval. The Legislative Black Caucus plans to counter the proposal with an "equal opportunity" amendment on next Fall's ballot. In order to gain ballot access, 43 thousand signatures must be petitioned. The future of affirmative action is unclear. A 1997 poll conducted by Florida Voter found that 85% of Florida's citizens support the initiative to abolish job placement by race. Recent evidence shows that the original intent of the civil rights activists is not being met by placing "middle-class" blacks into jobs. Affirmative action has not solved the poverty of black neighborhoods, the 66% of all black babies born into single parent families, or the low number of blacks in higher education. The U.S. Supreme Court has shown that it is willing to grapple with racial issues and will continue to hand down policy to fit our changing times....
