Dr. Robert Corrigan on Affirmative Action

Scenes from Sunday Morning Celebration at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco on October 15th 1995 featuring a speech by Dr. Robert A. Corrigan, President of San Francisco State University. Dr. Corrigan is introduced by Janice Mirikitani to the congregation as being: "sensitive to comminity issues and his dedication to breaking the barriers that often exist between academia and the streets ... has created a unique university system, reputed for its relevance and diversity." Corrigan prefaces his speech by explaining that "I am here in his [Rev. Cecil Williams] pulpit to take up ... the subjects of education and affirmative action, at a time in which both are under savage attack." He states that affirmative action is essential, in the face of widespread "inequality of oportunity," observing: "It is clear that while we dwell within the boundaries of the same nation, we truly live in different Americas. And many Americans seem not yet to recognize that fact." Corrigan identifies himself as the "grandson of peasants" and shares the history of his grandfather Joseph Gengo, who emigrated to the U.S. from Italy and worked for 55 years as a longshoreman. He goes on to reinforce that at SF State "Diversity ... is a source of pride, it's a fountain of strength and we will not retreat from it no matter what the political climate." Corrigan rejects the idea that diversity lowers academic standards and emphasizes SF State's committment to access, in order to help build a just and equal society. The TV Archive would like to thank Glide for loaning us their VHS copy of this video for digital remastering. Please note that picture and audio quality on the VHS master was unstable.