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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: South side action</title>

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: South side action

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Kamehameha Schools is facing a possible legal challenge over its admissions policy.

The Virginia-based nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions launched a 

 Thursday condemning Kamehameha Schools’ policy granting preference to Native Hawaiian students over any others.

“We believe that focus on ancestry, rather than merit or need, is neither fair nor legal, and we are committed to ending Kamehameha’s unlawful admissions policies in court,” reads the website.

While no court case has yet been filed, the message on the website urges parents whose children have been denied admission to Kamehameha Schools to share their stories.

Students for Fair Admissions has launched other campaigns against affirmative action policies at other schools. In particular, in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court found that race-based admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were unconstitutional as a result of cases brought by the group's founder, Edward Blum.

Blum is a conservative activist with a lengthy career of lawsuits against various policies or procedures that, he argues, are unfairly preferential to minority or ethnic groups.

Kamehameha Schools issued a statement on the matter Thursday assuring that they are “confident that our policy aligns with established law, and we will prevail.”

“We anticipated that our nearly 140-year-old admissions policy, providing preference to Native Hawaiian children, would again be challenged,” the statement read. “…Our kula and operational leaders are prepared and committed to vigorously defending the vision of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi.”

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees made its own statement, calling SFFA’s challenge “not only a direct affront to the will and legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, but also an attack on the right of Native Hawaiians to care for our own, on our own terms.”

OHA’s statement noted that SFFA has no connection or commitment to Hawai‘i and that its challenge is not new, but represents one component of an escalating series of attacks against “the hard-won protections that enable our people to heal, rise and chart our future.”

In a 2003 lawsuit, Doe v. Kamehameha Schools, a U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the schools after an unnamed teenager — who was not Native Hawaiian — sought admission to Kamehameha Schools.

, Kamehameha Schools defended its policy on the grounds that it is a privately funded school system and that it exists to correct ongoing imbalances facing Native Hawaiians, particularly an educational need recognized by the U.S. Congress.

 in 2006 that the admissions policy is valid and “designed to counteract the significant, current educational deficits of Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i,” Kamehameha Schools 

 $7 million to the student a year later when the case was poised to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Aloha State Daily reached out to OHA, Kamehameha Schools and SFFA for comment.

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<title>Kamehameha Schools gearing up for legal battle over admissions policy</title>

Virginia-based Students for Fair Admissions announced plans to challenge Kamehameha Schools preferential treatment of Native Hawaiian applicants

Kamehameha Schools gearing up for legal battle over admissions policy

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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

When Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā was a junior at Kailua High school, his sights were set on joining the U.S. Air Force Academy. However, that changed during the summer between his junior and senior year, after his paddling coach arranged a trip to Kahoʻolawe.

“It was such a transformative experience that when I came back, I recognized the yearning that I had to learn more about our language and our culture,” he told Aloha State Daily.

That curiosity later led him to double major in Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He is fluent in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i and is an active member of the Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club

“When I think about how that informs me, it was really a foundation, that I do everything from — my time working at Sunetric in renewable energy; my time at The Queen’s Health Systems working on Native Hawaiian health programs; or at Hawai’i Tourism Authority, leading natural and cultural resources, then as chief brand officer, and, most recently, our stewardship and destination management programs. This was all made possible because of the foundation that I stand on and will continue to in this new role.”

 on July 7, succeeding Celeste Connors, who was recently appointed president of the 

 a nonprofit recognized by the United Nations as a Local2030 Hub, committed to advancing local and global sustainability goals.

He told ASD three days into the new role that meeting with and understanding the needs of the team was his initial priority.

“I'm still very much in the listen and learn phase,” he said. “As I look back at my career to date, I think about the work that I’ve done to build community from a grassroots level, which started with honest, deep listening,” Kaʻanāʻanā said.

He noted that the diversity of Hawai’i Green Growth’s partners “is incredible” 

 and comprised of “all levels of government, business and civil society.”  

“To me, it highlights an island-informed way of trying to tackle these really big challenges and these really big opportunities in front of us, whether it be around smart sustainable communities or renewable energy or fresh water or food security, it's really going to take all of us.”

Kaʻanāʻanā said last week that he was still being briefed on numbers around membership and staffing levels, as well as annual budget and funding.

“Our membership is probably a little bit different than maybe how you might think of other member-based organizations. I'll say it's not pay to play,” he said. “I think it's about peer-to peer learning, sharing of best practices and discovering shared knowledge, where we can collaborate and accelerate our progress.

“Fundraising is a whole-office effort for us that starts with compelling storytelling, to ensure the work gets to continue,” he noted.

The nonprofit, he said, aims to implement the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG) through the Aloha+ Challenge, which is Hawai‘i’s local framework for achieving such benchmarks.

“At the end of the day, the [UN's] SDG are meant to improve the quality life for everyone globally. Hawai’i launched [their own], informed by Hawaiian culture with the same goal 

 to improve the challenges we have around affordability, housing, climate challenges, he said. “Our role is to be catalyst for change. My call to action is if you are interested or already working on these goals, 'E hele mai,' come on down."

As a leader, Kaʻanāʻanā said one of his core values is mālama, “caring for one another and our island earth.”

“More generally, my background is informed first by aloha,” he said, adding that having come from the tourism industry, “I understand how that word can be thrown around and it can be made to feel hollow and empty, and that's not what I mean in this case.”

“I want to bring those two dual poles of this sailing canoe that I think we’re all on to try to navigate our path forward.”

In 2016, he joined HTA serving in a few different roles, though as chief stewardship officer

, he prioritized community well-being and care for the land as the agency shifted tourism efforts toward regenerative practices. Earlier in his career, 

Kaʻanāʻanā held leadership and community engagement roles in sectors spanning Native Hawaiian health, clean energy, government and nonprofit.

When asked who his mentors are, he said, “No one person, although I will acknowledge there have been many in the village who have shape and raised me.”

“Without getting sappy about it, I really want to say my mom. My mom is my reason. I lost her five years ago and I think about her every day. … None of who I am or where I am today is possible without her. So, I'll say mom.”

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HGG CEO Kalani Kaanaana

<title>Hawai‘i Green Growth’s new CEO shares mission, priorities</title>

Kailua-born and raised Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, a former Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority executive, talks about what initially drew him to the organization focused on advancing statewide and global sustainability goals. Only a week in the role, he offers insights on collaboration and community-building to help implement such objectives by 2030.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: South side action

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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