RACE + EDUCATION

How The Supreme Court Ending Affirmative Action Will Hurt Black Students

Fewer opportunities for Black students is terrible news for everyone

Since the 1960s, affirmative action policies have reshaped American colleges and universities. Black students, who had been historically rejected from college admissions because of their race, could now have their race considered in a positive light. However, the Supreme Court is currently considering a case that could upend racial progress. Chief Justice Roberts and his conservative colleagues have “long questioned race-conscious government policies” and are likely to use their majority on the court to end affirmative action policies. According to Bloomberg, ending affirmative Action “will crush the diversity talent pipeline.” Down the line, this means companies may have less qualified diverse candidates to hire. There’s no way to sugarcoat the fallout — if conservative justices end affirmative action, fewer Black students will receive acceptance letters next fall.

Justice Roberts and his fellow conservatives often insist that race doesn’t matter and that policies like affirmative action are no longer needed. But if that were the case, why did the Hechinger Report suggest “racial gaps in college degrees are widening, just when states need them to narrow?” Furthermore, “the overwhelming majority of the nation’s most selective public colleges are still inaccessible for Black and Latino undergraduates. Over half of 101 institutions earned D’s and F’s for access for BOTH Black and Latino students.” Clearly, America’s colleges and universities have failed to provide students with equitable opportunities. So, why are conservatives hell-bent on shredding affirmative action policies? Is the cruelty the point?

While some White Americans prefer race-neutral policies, refusing to acknowledge racial discrimination in college admissions only serves to maintain a system that systematically favors White students. At a time when America could benefit from a more widespread application of race-based affirmative action policies, the Supreme Court is poised to send the country back to a time when campuses were mostly-white, and administrators made no effort to diversify.

Selective colleges and universities already use a variety of factors to decide which students get an acceptance letter. Grade point average and standardized test scores are just the tip of the iceberg for schools like Harvard, which also considers “community involvement, leadership and distinction in extracurricular activities, and personal qualities and character” in admissions. So, why does using a factor like “race” bother the heeby jeebies out of some White folks? Admitting that race should be considered in college admissions would also mean accepting that race impacts our lives. Letting that cat out of the bag would have consequences within organizations and the criminal justice and healthcare systems. As Yi et al. (2022) suggested, “refusing to acknowledge the continued roles of race and racism is antithetical to many of the fundamental tenants of multiculturalism.” Just as someone who ignores a leaky faucet refuses to call a plumber, those who deny racism never allow themselves to embrace diversity as a solution.

Despite public and legal challenges, Harvard University’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging department has maintained “its commitment to the goals of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.” Affirmative action policies are proactive as opposed to retroactive responses to racial discrimination. In other words, colleges and universities can avoid having a mostly-white student body by considering the admission of diverse students.

Now, one point that racists often make is that it is unfair to admit students solely on the basis of race. However, race has always been used as one factor, not the only or predominant factor in an admissions decision. In 1978, the Supreme Court decided that race or ethnicity could be used as a “plus factor in admissions to try to create more diversity on campuses. Schools cannot have racial quotas or use race as a sole determining factor.” So, the notion that schools are letting in unqualified Black students or that they only got accepted because of their race is an obnoxious myth that has long strayed from reality. Affirmative action policies are designed to promote diversity while maintaining the integrity of higher learning institutions.

Despite some universities using affirmative action, the scales are still tilted against Black students in America. Not only do White students have a better shot at getting to college, but some have also exploited the self-identified aspect of the process. For instance, one study showed that more than a third of White students lie about their race or ethnicity on their college application in hopes of improving their odds of admission or receiving financial aid allotted for diverse students. This disgraceful practice highlights another problem — some White students perceive diverse candidates as more likely to be admitted, even though that’s not true. The public has a skewed perception of what affirmative action policies do, who they benefit, and the frequency of their application.

Just as someone who ignores a leaky faucet refuses to call a plumber, those who deny racism never allow themselves to embrace diversity as a solution.

As the Supreme Court considers whether to axe affirmative action policies, it's essential to consider the potential impact of their decision. Fewer opportunities for Black students can shrink the diverse pool of candidates businesses hire from, slashing earning potential and making it more difficult for Black people to purchase homes and enrich their communities. In other words, the end of affirmative action policies will further exasperate racial discrimination in the college admissions process, hurting Black students.

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