Recently, news has come out that the Supreme Court will be revisiting a case that upheld race-based admissions to public universities. In the case, Grutter v. Bollinger, the following was decided:
the Supreme Court upheld the race-conscious admissions policy at the University of Michigan’s law school, reasoning that a diverse student body improves the education of all students. As the majority explained, “classroom discussion is livelier, more spirited, and simply more enlightening and interesting when students have the greatest possible variety of backgrounds.” A diverse student body also prepares students for their professional careers, as “the skills needed in today’s increasingly global marketplace can only be developed through exposure to widely diverse people, cultures, ideas, and viewpoints.”
With a majority conservative court, it makes many wonder if Affirmative Action will be coming to an end. This post is by no means means to be a comprehensive evaluation of the policy. We simply just wanted to present the information. What do you all think about it? Is AA needed at all? Also, keep in mind AA does not solely serve the needs of racial and ethnic minorities. Its purpose is to promote diversity in the classroom. Maybe this is the time to reevaluate our definitions of diversity and what that means for the workplace, classroom, and various settings. Contrary to popular belief, I do believe that whites and notably white males can benefit from AA policies. Its solely about how a person presents themselves. Diversity is not a set of external factors; its a combination of characteristics that should be considered for everyone.
As a personal aside, I know that the prospective of this decision has definitely forced me to change up my career trajectory. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment in the box below!
Grutter v. Bollinger: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/02-241.ZS.html
More information on the history, origins, and timeline of Affirmative Action are below. Enjoy!
http://www.now.org/nnt/08-95/affirmhs.html