Should Affirmative Action Be Upheld or Struck Down by SCOTUS?

The Supreme Court is currently deciding on the future of affirmative action. The conservative-majority court is expected to strike down the policy as unconstitutional. In light of this, scholars, legal experts, and college professors are offering perspectives on the value or harm of affirmative action.

For Affirmative Action: Arguments in favor cite historical institutions of racial discrimination as lingering on, with a writer for Slate stating white supremacy remains an issue, “no matter how badly the conservative justices wish to believe these problems have vaporized, gone, worked themselves out.” A writer for The Atlantic (Left Bias) states that ending affirmative action would be a step back for racial progress in America, writing, “Black students won’t just remain at the back of the line in American life; they will be pushed even further back.”

Against Affirmative Action: Arguments against cast doubt on the effectiveness of the policy in achieving equality, questioning the emphasis placed on diversity in college admissions processes. A writer for the Washington Examiner writes, “diversity, though a vaguely defined term at best, is certainly important but should not be sought blindly,” arguing that affirmative action policies reinforce notions of race-based discrimination. A writer for Newsweek (Center Bias) argues affirmative action policies work against asian students, writing, “race-conscious admission, once seen as a tool for combatting racial bias, now provokes it.”

Common Ground: There is a strong sentiment on both sides of the argument that racial inequality is a bad thing. The disagreement comes from the solution to the problem.