COMMENTARY
Kamehameha faces another court test
By the Trustees and CEO of Kamehameha Schools
Nov. 4 is the 117th birthday of Kamehameha Schools. It is a day of great pride for everyone in the Kamehameha 'ohana, but this year, there will be no party.
Instead, we will greet that day with a sunrise prayer service, and then spend the morning in a federal courtroom, once again defending Kamehameha Schools' right to offer admissions preference to Hawaiian children.
It's ironic. The anniversary of one of the greatest private gifts ever bestowed on a group of people will be juxtaposed against the threat of losing our right to most directly serve its intended beneficiaries.
Our task that day is enormous. We must convince a panel of federal judges to affirm the ruling handed down last November by U.S. District Judge Alan Kay, who viewed the mission and work of Kamehameha Schools as "exceptionally unique" for the following reasons:
• We are privately financed.
• We exist to correct imbalances suffered by an indigenous people as the result of Western contact, and which continue to exist.
• Our educational mission parallels a recognized need that has been affirmed by Congress.
The leaders at Kamehameha have worked to fulfill this mission since 1887, through the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, the annexation by the United States and the establishment of statehood.
Tremendous strides have been made. Our graduates contribute in every sector of our society: in business, medicine, science, culture and the arts, education, social services, government, athletics and the military. Kamehameha Schools alumni are among the leaders in the effort to rebuild our communities and restore pride among the Hawaiian people.
However, as Congress acknowledged through its continued funding of the Native Hawaiian Education Act, the job is not yet done. Congress even highlighted Kamehameha Schools, encouraging us to "redouble our efforts."
Kamehameha's preference policy must be allowed to continue until the balance is restored.
We have always maintained that restoring Hawaiian well-being contributes to the well-being of our entire state. It is clear that many in our community agree. The fight to protect our preference policy was joined last year by non-Hawaiian leaders throughout Hawai'i who provided declarations of support. Nearly 84,000 people — 44 percent of them non-Hawaiian — signed petitions supporting the same sentiment.
It appears this legal challenge led many of us to reflect on what sets our community apart, and why we choose to live here and to raise our children here. Hawai'i is, indeed, a special place; a blend of cultural traditions from every ethnicity in the world, held together by the indelible spirit of the Islands' original inhabitants. The Hawaiian people opened their home to all, freely sharing what they had. In the process, they lost their sovereignty, and nearly lost their language, culture and identity.
Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop took responsibility for the continued well-being of her people and dedicated her estate for this purpose.
She was not the only ali'i to devote her wealth to the care and restoration of Hawaiians, and Kamehameha Schools is not the only organization devoted to improving Hawaiian well-being. There are many Hawaiian organizations and kanaka maoli who work each day to restore Hawaiian strength.
However, through her legacy, Pauahi has made so much possible. Thanks to Pauahi, Hawaiian perspectives today are being shared in every segment of our society. Thanks to Pauahi, our children have begun to understand and take pride in their heritage. Thanks to Pauahi, we all continue to enjoy the benefit of our graceful host culture. Thanks to Pauahi. She made it possible.
Still, as Judge Kay noted in his ruling last year, too many Hawaiians die young and perform poorly in school; too many are living in prison or in poverty. To close these gaps, Kamehameha Schools spends more than $200 million a year on campus programs and extensive outreach initiatives. We are now homing in on communities where most Hawaiian children live and learn.
Our Zero to Eight initiative — named Ho'o Mohala Kaiaulu ("to cause to blossom") — will support community efforts to develop the potential in our keiki, from prenatal to eight years of age. By building on the good work already being done by many others, supplementing with our resources where needed and leading when necessary, we intend to spread Pauahi's gift farther and farther into our communities.
Our educational budget comes from the revenue generated from Pauahi's estate. We do not accept any federal money, and we're not asking for federal assistance. All we want is to finish what Pauahi started.
And so, on Nov. 4, we will celebrate our birthday and make our case to the court. That morning, we will gather with our friends and neighbors at Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. Students, faculty and staff from our Kapalama, Big Island and Maui campuses will likewise convene special observances, as will alumni and other supporters at prayer services across the state and on the Mainland. We will pay our respects to Pauahi, whose vision and generosity made possible what we enjoy today, and we will celebrate the tremendous gift she left us. And we will pray to Ke Akua for guidance and strength as we defend, once again, the policy we know to be pono, or right. We will fight to finish our work. For Pauahi, for Hawaiians and for all of Hawai'i.
