Thanks for a well-researched and honest article, Ryan. I get the feeling you want to be a progressive, but you have qualms about much of the progressive viewpoint.

Why has affirmative action failed to close the performance gap?

How long will we continue to need affirmative action when many people see Blacks thriving and succeeding in many positions of power?

Why can't poverty and life experiences be considered, rather than color as a factor in admissions?

Why don't progressives believe Blacks can succeed as well as others who have overcome disadvantaged backgrounds?

With lack of an intact family, usually minus a father, playing a major role in a family's descent into poverty, why don't progressives do something to promote a two-parent family unit?