'Change takes time' while the names have changed—and some of the laws—many age-old debates in higher education have remained the same over the past 20 years

Black Issues in Higher Education, June 17, 2004 by Charles Dervarics

>From the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Major Owens, D-N.Y., heads a list of lawmakers who have steadfastly supported low-income students, through dramatic speeches and detailed legislative plans. Education debates also are richer thanks to Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., who set the foundation for the GEAR UP program and often thinks "outside-the-box" on education policy.

Twenty years from now, however rest assured that many issues from the 1980s will remain on higher education's front burner. As Wilcher notes when talking about affirmative action, "Change takes time."

--Charles Dervarics is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Va., who has covered federal education policy for more than 15 years, contributing to BLACK ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, COMMUNITY COLLEGE WEEK, EDUCATION DAILY and other publications.