Author: Grace Hollander

Fourth Year Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics Major

The legal debate regarding the constitutionality of affirmative action admissions policies continues as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to render a verdict after hearing oral arguments from Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill defending the legitimacy explicitly using race as a criterion for admission. Looking deeper into the supposed diversity affirmative action promotes, it is evident that the diversity created is largely based on race alone. At Harvard, for example, nearly 4.5% of students come from the bottom 20% of earners. The theoretical goal of affirmative action is to not only create a diverse student body but also to “address racial discrimination by recognizing and responding to the structural barriers that have denied underrepresented students access to higher education”. Many have proposed the use of a more well-rounded diversity effort that is aimed at creating a racially and economically well-rounded student body.

The decision being made by the Supreme Court could entirely block universities’ ability to consider race at all. Racial consideration is important within the admissions process, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “race does correlate to some experiences and not others.” If universities are still able to consider factors like disability and veteran status but not race, a ruling against affirmative action could create a larger equality problem. Rejecting the arguments in favor of affirmative action could set a precedent for future cases to make race-conscious initiatives, beyond universities, for equal rights unjust and discriminatory. The Supreme Court ruling carries far more weight than many realize. Although affirmative action is far from meeting the theorized goal of reducing systemic barriers, diversity, race consciousness in hiring, and admissions processes are still essential in creating a truly diverse community as race continues to influence individuals’ lived experiences.