San Fernando Valley

AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE: In a statement marked by personal reflections on her own encounters with discrimination, Cal State Northridge President Blenda Wilson on Tuesday issued a strong defense of affirmative action policies, but declined to take a stand on a controversial proposed state initiative.

Wilson said her own life experiences have convinced her of the need for affirmative action. If affirmative action has problems, she said, “we should fix it, but not abolish it.”