by Patricia Mayes

As published in the Macon Telegraph

For nearly a quarter century, the Southeastern Legal Foundation fought little-noticed legal battles against property restrictions, taxes and census sampling.
But recently, the Atlanta-based public interest law organization has grabbed headlines by pouring much of its money and energy into one high-profile war: Annihilating affirmative action.

With court rulings and ballot initiatives chipping away at race-based preference programs in the last few years, the group has had a good deal of success. Some cities and counties have even raised the white flag rather than risk a long, expensive legal skirmish with the foundation.

"Our goal should be a racial neutral society," said Matt Glavin, the foundation's president since 1994. "There's no way we'll achieve that dream if we have affirmative action programs in place because affirmative action programs inherently judge people based on the color of their skin."

Critics, however, say the foundation -- whose 110,000 contributors donated $1.75 million last year -- is simply an attack dog doing the bidding of conservative politicians trying to dismantle all the gains by blacks since the civil rights movement.

"They're just a front for the Republican Party." Said Lou Walker, president of the Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce. "Growing up in the South I went to the colored schools, I drank from the colored water fountains. It's very emotional for me to even think of going back to that. To think that my grandkids or kids will have to go through that."

Now the foundation has turned its efforts toward Atlanta, threatening to file a lawsuit this month against the city unless the mayor voluntarily dismantles a program requiring a third of city contracts to be awarded to minority and women-owned businesses.

For More Information Contact:
Media Relations
media@southeasternlegal.org
(404) 365-8500