As the national debate over affirmative action grows, some have questioned the University of Maryland's rationale for fighting to continue its Banneker Scholarships -- full scholarships awarded to high-ability African Americans. Our commitment to these scholarships is unswerving, including appeal of the Fourth Circuit Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our defense of these scholarships is not based on abstractions, but rather on pragmatic consideration of where this university has come from, where it stands today, and what it intends to become.

   One of the most painful aspects of defending the Banneker Scholarships has been the necessity for the University of Maryland to confront its past. As a segregated institution, this is the university that denied admission to the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall simply because of the color of his skin. Well into the 1970s the University actively resisted integration, causing a gulf between Maryland's African Americans and their state university; a gulf that, we can document, remains today in the hearts of many. The vestiges of state-sanctioned discrimination run deep: today black students remain the only minority segment under-represented on the University of Maryland campus when compared to their presence in the region's population.

   With two decades of proactive recruitment of African Americans through programs like the Banneker Scholarships, we are making notable progress. The University's success in not just attracting, but graduating African Americans has been documented the past three years by the magazine Black Issues in Higher Education, which has cited the University of Maryland as a national leader among traditionally white schools in the number of baccalaureate and doctoral degrees awarded to black students.

   A recent college guide book entitled The 100 Best Colleges for African-American Students includes the University of Maryland in that list. After candidly noting the University's history, the book goes on to say, "These events may lead one to think that UM is an uncomfortable place for an African-American student. To the contrary, the university has worked to improve conditions for African-American students for a number of years and is committed to increasing enrollment."

   The Banneker Scholars are at the heart of that commitment. They graduate at an extraordinarily high rate -- roughly 90% since the program began in 1979. Their presence is an essential element in the diversity of the campus. And they serve as outstandi ng role models for all students, but most especially for other black students, eloquently signaling that today's University of Maryland offers a supportive, welcoming environment for all high-achieving students.

   Should Maryland or any university continue race-based scholarship programs indefinitely? Obviously not. But the essential work of this affirmative action program is not yet done. For now, the University of Maryland should be allowed to continue one of its most effective means for demonstrating to blacks that today's universities are not what they used to be and that, with greater participation by all segments of society, our nation's universities can become even better.

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