US Supreme Court overturns race-based admissions at universities

The court ruled in favor of Students for Fair Admissions, an activist group that filed a lawsuit against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC), the oldest private and public higher education institutions in the United States.

The lawsuit challenged the admissions policies of these universities, asserting that the consideration of race in the admissions process resulted in discrimination against Asian American applicants who were equally or more academically qualified than their competitors vying for admission to these institutions.

“Such [race-based] admission programs must comply with strict scrutiny, may never use race as a stereotype or negative, and must – at some point,” the judgment said.

“The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion.

Racial practice: Chief Justice John Roberts

The Chief Justice observed that deciding primarily based on whether the applicant is white, Black, or other is itself racial discrimination. “Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice,” he said.

The decision by the justices was divided along conservative and liberal ideologies, with a six to three majority in favor. This ruling followed a long-standing conservative opposition to “affirmative action” measures aimed at promoting diversity in school admissions, as well as hiring in business and government sectors. The court affirmed that universities have the freedom to take into account an applicant’s personal background, such as their firsthand experience with racism, as a factor in evaluating their application, even if there are other applicants who possess stronger academic qualifications.

Origin of affirmative action policies

The affirmative action policies in question originated from the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, with the intention of addressing the historical discrimination faced by African Americans in higher education.

The verdict marked a triumph for conservatives, including those who have contended that affirmative action is intrinsically unjust. Additionally, some have expressed the view that this policy is no longer necessary, as educational opportunities for Black individuals and other minority groups have significantly improved over time.

(With AFP inputs)

Updated: 29 Jun 2023, 08:31 PM IST