The US Supreme Court has ruled that affirmative action is unconstitutional. In the long-standing practice of “affirmative action,” efforts were made to make it easier for African-Americans to enter college, particularly at universities.
The US Supreme Court has barred universities from considering skin color when selecting college applicants.
In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court in Washington ruled that a practice known as “affirmative action” is unconstitutional. Through this approach, universities have tried for decades to ensure better access to universities for minorities – especially African-Americans.
“Universities have long concluded that the measure of a person’s identity is not challenges overcome, skills developed or lessons learned, but the color of their skin,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the ruling. This is unconstitutional.
Are university applicants of Asian descent disadvantaged?
The ruling related to lawsuits brought by a student body for fair admissions against the private Harvard University and North Carolina State University (UNC).
The plaintiffs argued that applicants of Asian descent would be disadvantaged by the selection process, which was specifically targeted at Afro-Americans.
Measures known as “affirmative action” were introduced in the 1960s as part of the American civil rights movement. Its purpose was to give African Americans better access to good educational institutions after centuries of oppression, discrimination, and disadvantage.
“Affirmative action” has always been controversial
However, such programs have been controversial from the start. For example, white university applicants went to court arguing that they were victims of “reverse discrimination.” Critics also argue that taking skin color into account confirms the division of people into different groups and thus divides society.
In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled that universities should not use fixed quotas based on skin color when selecting applicants. However, skin color or ethnic origin may be used as one of several criteria to ensure diversity in the student body. According to elite university Harvard, about 40 percent of American universities have such programs.
“Roadblock on the march to Racial Equality”
First reactions to the ruling ran along party lines. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “a major roadblock in the march toward racial equality.”
Former Republican President Donald Trump said people with extraordinary abilities are finally being rewarded. “It’s all about performance again – that’s the way it should be!”
Trump was able to appoint three new justices to the Supreme Court during his tenure. It shifted to the right, with six of the nine justices now classified as conservatives. They now voted against “affirmative action” in both cases.
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