The most diverse Supreme Court ever confronts affirmative action
Washington PostDec 23, 2022
SCOTUS Hears Challenge to Race-Conscious College Admissions
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Image copyright: The Atlantic/Getty [via The Atlantic]
The Facts
The US Supreme Court is poised to review and, potentially, overturn the legality of using affirmative action in higher education. Harvard and the University of North Carolina are set to defend their approach to promoting diversity on Monday.
Challenges to the practice have been brought by conservative activist and founder of the campaign group "Students for Fair Admissions," Edward Blum. His group — which was also behind a case brought against the University of Texas and a successful 2013 challenge to a key provision in the Voting Rights Act — asserts that factoring race into college admissions goes against the Constitution.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
The discrimination resulting from centuries of oppression against Black Americans hasn't yet been undone. Affirmative action remains a crucial tool for promoting diversity at academic institutions — ensuring all races receive equal opportunities in higher education.
Republican narrative
To stop discrimination based on race, we must literally stop discriminating based on race. The Fourteenth Amendment prohibits this, making affirmative action unconstitutional. Institutions of higher education must understand that "equal protection" means equal — not something to be politicized with woke factors.
