Affirmative Action Reversed by the US’s Supreme Court

[Theworried2]

Today the Supreme Court has overturned affirmative action (voting 6-2 to reverse it against Harvard and 6-3 against North Carolina, effectively ending across the whole of the Us. Some states such. As California had already banned it.

This is something currently illegal in the UK and is something I support, as race shouldn’t be used as a blatant factor in choosing students as it discriminates against other minorities such as Indian or Chinese Americans.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65886212

It is tricky. I lived in America teaching at an excellent university for 15 years. During that time U Michigan, an outstanding public university, had two cases before the Supreme Court and got split decisions. The type of AA they used for UG admissions was banned.

NY Times is now reporting that the proportion of Black students is down from 7% to 4%. As admissions standards are very high for all, this is a big problem for me.

Also while I lived in America the excellent U Texas changed tack. Now anyone in the top 10% of their high school rankings is guaranteed admission — I don’t know what the standard for the flagship campus at Austin. Problem is, many high schools are so poor that students arrive incredibly underprepared, to the extent that UT has no way to help them. Numbers of minority UT graduates have fallen.

I also fear that this decision will increase hostilities against Asian Americans. They already face prejudice when applying for HE as they are over-represented, on the grounds that they are highly accomplished. Oddly enough many of the same white people against AA have no problem with this
(to me, abhorrent) practice.

It’s complicated.