The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deliberating on the legality of race-conscious admissions policies at colleges and universities, known as affirmative action. As the Court prepares to deliver its ruling by the end of June, here is an overview of the main figures and cases involved.
Harvard University, an esteemed Ivy League institution based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been at the center of a legal battle since 2014. Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-affirmative action group, sued Harvard, accusing the university of discriminatory practices against Asian American applicants during its admissions process. In defense, Harvard contends that its holistic approach considers race alongside numerous other factors, rejecting claims of unlawfulness. The lawsuit alleges a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded programs.
The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, a prestigious public research university and the oldest public university in the United States, also faces a legal challenge. Students for Fair Admissions sued UNC in 2014, asserting that the institution unlawfully discriminated against white and Asian American applicants. Denying these allegations, UNC, like Harvard, maintains that its objective is to foster a diverse student body. The lawsuit alleges a violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.
Founded in 2014 by conservative activist Edward Blum, Students for Fair Admissions is a nonprofit organization dedicated to challenging affirmative action policies. Representing college applicants who believe they were unjustly rejected based on race, the group has been instrumental in bringing these cases to the forefront.
Edward Blum, the founder of Students for Fair Admissions, has long been on a mission to eliminate race-based preferences aimed at promoting diversity in American society. Blum initiated his campaign against race-conscious admissions in 2008 when he took up the case of Abigail Fisher, a white student who claimed discrimination in her rejection from the University of Texas. Although the Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas’ admissions policy in that case, subsequent shifts in the Court’s composition have placed it ideologically to the right.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonprofit organization established in 1963, has been advocating for equity on behalf of racial minorities in the United States. Over the past decade, the group has provided legal representation to students, prospective students, and alumni of Harvard and UNC, as they defend the schools’ admissions policies.
As the Supreme Court prepares to render its verdict on affirmative action, the outcome of these cases will shape the future of race-conscious admissions policies at educational institutions across the country.
