Supreme Court’s newest absurdity: Eliminating affirmative action
by Laila E.
As many AHS students, specifically juniors and seniors, start looking at and applying to colleges, they will realize that the diversity of the class is a factor that admissions officers sometimes take into consideration in order to diversify the campus, but this very process may be threatened by the Supreme Court’s recent banning of affirmative action.
According to Wikipedia, affirmative action “involves sets of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking to include particular groups that were historically discriminated against in areas in which such groups are underrepresented, mistreated or suffer from lack of public support.” Affirmative action was challenged recently when, according to OYEZ, “Petitioner Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) sued Harvard College over its admissions process, alleging that the process violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Asian American applicants in favor of white applicants. Harvard admits that it uses race as one of many factors in its admissions process but argues that its process adheres to the requirements for race-based admissions outlined in the Supreme Court’s decision in Grutter v. Bollinger.” After lower courts ruled in favor of Harvard, the SFFA appealed the decision, ultimately resulting in it being heard by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of SFF and thus substantially limited, if not outright eliminated, the practice of affirmative action in college admissions on June 29 in a landmark ruling. The Constitution's equal protection clause, which forbids racial discrimination by government agencies, was cited by the judges in their 6-3 decision to declare that the admissions processes utilized by universities, such as Harvard and the University of North Carolina, in violation. Now, colleges are not allowed to consider race when deciding whom to accept into their schools. .
Despite the legitimacy of the appeals, writ of certiorari processes, and the judicial system in general, the Supreme Court should not have banned the consideration of race in college admissions as this was the number one way to ensure a more diverse environment.
One reason as to why affirmative action is a positive practice is because all students, regardless of race, are benefited by the exposure to diverse perspectives and cultures on a college campus. According to The Washington Post, being exposed to diverse perspectives and cultures increases the likelihood that students may interact with other races at their workplace. On a social level, The Washington Post also states that many years after graduation, having diverse friendships and healthy racial attitudes is linked to having experienced a diverse student body in college. In other words, affirmative action not only benefits underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, it also provides the exposure to diverse populations that all students need and benefit from.
In addition to the previous reason, affirmative action assists underprivileged groups in climbing the socioeconomic ladder. As argued by HelpfulProfessor, a person or group of people in a poor socioeconomic standing may find themselves trapped in it for a long time, with no easy way except through affirmative action. The website also states that, by providing support to numerous groups at the bottom of society so they might rise to a better life, entire communities rather that solely individuals are helped which can bring about significant improvements in society as a whole. In other words, all of society is lifted when one person is lifted.
Furthermore, colleges can move toward more equity in admissions with the support of affirmative action. American Progress, an independent nonpartisan policy institute, notes that in the American education system, students of color have long faced structural obstacles such as marginalization, segregation, inadequate financing, scarce resources, and lower income which will continue to happen without affirmative action. Another fact highlighted by American Progress is that affirmative action combats wealthier students, who are often white. These students are more likely to have had a parent that attended college which allows them to benefit from legacy preference.
Some might argue that, in actuality, affirmative action has the effect of causing discrimination, as students of color are discouraged from doing their best work because affirmative action enables them to be admitted into colleges with inferior qualifications than their peers. Critics of affirmative action may also argue that providing “special treatment” to minorities is akin to telling them they are not intelligent enough to succeed in school or land a job on their own--that is, perhaps their sense of self-worth is negatively impacted due the implicit messaging behind affirmative action. In response to what seems like substantial arguments, these types of criticisms ignore that affirmative action does eliminate discrimination by uprooting a system built with the intentions of only allowing certain people to succeed and that being oppressed discourages students of color far more than affirmative action ever will. Moreover, if “special treatment” means getting students of color a seat at the college table, then so be it.
Despite the aforementioned pros of affirmative action, , Jacqueline H., an AHS student, believes the opposite: “I think that the concept of affirmative action was meant to be helpful and a good way to include everyone, but seeing how almost anything can be corrupted, it does the opposite of what it is intended for. I just think that the government still finds it hard to actually make things inclusive.”
Reiterating this sentiment, another AHS student, Heidi D., believes that “affirmative action is a system of oppression for everyone involved. Instead of taking merit, competency, or genuine need into account, it places the status of minority at the top of the list. If we prioritize this status above all, our standards for entering universities, getting obs, etc. will lower, therefore creating a poorer society.”
As has been noted, the main point of this editorial is that the recent banning of affirmative action by the Supreme Court threatens the diversity of college campuses, which is an important factor in the admissions process. Affirmative action benefits all students by exposing them to diverse perspectives and cultures, assists underprivileged groups in climbing the socioeconomic ladder, and promotes equity in admissions. Arguments against affirmative action ignore the importance of addressing discrimination and the impact of oppression on students of color. Students interested in supporting affirmative action can organize peaceful protests on college campuses to show their outrage against the Supreme Court’s decision and sign petitions calling for a change in the decision. A popular website for signing petitions is Change.org.