Negrophile has a post on the Racial Privacy Initiative on the ballot in California that would prevent state and local governments from collecting racial and ethnic data. I hadn't heard of this proposal before but apparently many Californians hadn't either.

In July 50% of those polled said they would vote yes on the initiative, recent polls show 40% support and 40% of would oppose it, of course leaving 20% sitting on the fence.

Proposition 54 and what it means:

The state would still have to track race when mandated by the federal government. But racial categories would be voided in instances ranging from applicants to state universities to some public health surveys that analyze disease rates in different populations. Racial data would no longer be on birth and death certificates.

Many of the opposers feel this will be a back step for racial equality after all if we can't track it and identify where it's occurring how can we fight it.

I've always felt that racial discrimination will never come to a halt as long as our government continues to delineate. I remember as a teenager filling out different forms that would ask what race I was and being outraged. I would never check the caucasian category. Anything but, I still do that. Besides it's no ones damn business, I'm an American, that's all even the government needs to know. Now if a child can see this why can't adults?

Our country will never be color blind until our government takes the lead.

Radio ads will begin this week featuring initiative sponsor Ward Connerly, the University of California regent who also spearheaded the 1996 initiative that banned affirmative action in the state. Public awareness of the initiative should start climbing real soon.

I for one will be watching.