US Supreme Court Strikes Out Affirmative Action In College Admissions

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned race-conscious college admissions, known as Affirmative Action, on Thursday, 29th June 2023, overturning decades of precedent that had let institutions throughout the country use such policies to boost the diversity of their student bodies.

What is Affirmative Action?

Affirmative action is a deliberate attempt to increase the employment or educational possibilities for women and members of underrepresented groups in the United States. 

It is a set of policies, programs, and practices that give underrepresented groups and women preferences in job hiring, admission to higher education institutions, the awarding of government contracts, and other social benefits. 

It was first implemented by the government as a response to the negative effects of long-standing discrimination against such groups.

In the context of education, Affirmative Action involved admissions practices intended to increase the representation of Black, Hispanic, and other minority students on campuses in higher education.

[To advertise with Tales of Africa or support our work, send an email to: info@talesofafrica.org]

Credit: PA News Agency

Universities and colleges who employ the program claim it is part of an all-encompassing strategy that considers grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities when evaluating applications.

While many colleges keep the specifics of their admissions procedures secret, many institutions that reject the majority of applicants are more likely to take race into consideration.

In a 2019 poll by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, over a quarter of institutions said that race had a “considerable” or “moderate” impact on admissions decisions, while more than half claimed that race had no bearing at all.

Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Washington are the nine states that have outlawed the use of race in admissions procedures at public schools and universities.

US Supreme Court presides over two cases related to Affirmative Action

The Supreme Court presided over two cases brought by ‘Students for Fair Admissions’ – an organization led by conservative legal strategist Edward Blum who has long opposed Affirmative Action.

One case stated that Asian-American candidates were allegedly subjected to unlawful discrimination under Harvard’s admissions policy, while the other stated that the University of North Carolina is accused of unlawfully discriminating against candidates who are white or Asian-American.

The schools refuted the claims, saying that race makes up a tiny percentage when considering admissions and that prohibiting the practice would result in a large decrease in the number of minority students enrolled.

ALSO, READ: 7 African Countries That Are World-Leading Producers Of Remarkable Products