In an important decision, the U.S. Supreme Court, on June 24, in Fisher v. Texas, affirmed the vital principle that universities may pursue the goal of creating a diverse student body, using race as one component of many in admissions. Although the Court vacated the Appeals Court decision, which held that the University of Texas’ … Continue reading »
affirmative action
U.S. Supreme Court to review the 1965 Voting Rights Act
The October, 2012 term of the United States Supreme Court promises to be one of the most momentous in American History. Last fall, Court heard argument on the constitutionality of Affirmative Action in higher education in Fisher v. Texas (see my discussion of that case here). On Feb. 26, the Court will hear oral argument … Continue reading »
The many faces of affirmative action
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week (Oct. 10, 2012) in the case of Fisher v. Texas, which deals with the undergraduate admissions policy at the University of Texas. The policy, which some call “the Texas affirmative action plan,” is designed to promote diversity in the student body. However, it is not the … Continue reading »
Cupcakes, affirmative action and mass incarceration
Yesterday Berkeley’s College Republicans were generating big crowds on Sproul Plaza and big media coverage with a retread of an old bit of anti-affirmative action agit-prop; a cupcake sale in which prices were set by race (just like academic “preferences” for students of color in admissions, get it). (Read Nanette Asimov’s reporting in the SF … Continue reading »