All You Need to Know About the US Supreme Court's Verdict against Race-Based College Admissions

Affirmative action
programmes at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina were
deemed illegal by the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday. Chief
Justice John Roberts has ruled that racial preferences in admissions offices,
which aim to improve campus diversity and promote access to higher education,
are unconstitutional because they violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection
Clause.

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Prospective students
applying to colleges and universities should be judged “as an individual —
not on the basis of race,” according to Roberts.

However, “many
institutions have for a while done just the opposite,” Roberts said. They
have incorrectly inferred that a person’s identity is based on the colour of
their skin rather than the obstacles they have overcome, the talents they have
acquired, or the life experiences they have gained. That’s a decision that
can’t be made in light of our constitutional past.

Affirmative action
refers to a collection of policies designed to combat discrimination on the
basis of a person’s colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality,
or disability.

In the 1960s, the
concept of affirmative action measures emerged to combat racial discrimination
in the workplace and the classroom.

When discussing US
college admissions, affirmative action policies often come up. Some colleges
evaluate candidates’ race for better diversity. Affirmative action programmes
with comparable goals are used in hiring by governments and enterprises.

“Affirmative action
ensures equal employment opportunities for applicants and employees. In its
“frequently asked questions” page for federal contractors, the U.S.
Department of Labour states that “absent discrimination, over time a
contractor’s employees usually reflects the age distribution of the qualified
available workers in the relevant job market.”Affirmative action policies
guarantee equal treatment while preventing discrimination based on race, sex,
gender, religion, national origin, and disability.

Joe Biden, the
president, and vice president Kamala Harris have criticized this Supreme
Court verdict.

The Court has basically
terminated college affirmative action. On Thursday, the US President remarked,
“I firmly, strongly disagree with the Court’s decision.”

“I’ve always believed
the potential of the United States is big enough for everyone to succeed and
that every generation of Americans, we have benefitted by opening the doors of
opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who have been left
behind,” he said.

The United States
President stated that multicultural colleges are stronger. “Tapping into the
full range of talent in this nation makes us stronger,” he remarked.