As of 2021, the homeownership rate for Black people is approximately 45%nearly 30 percentage points lower than the white U.S. homeownership rate of approximately 74% (U.S. Census Bureau 2022). 23 0 obj If that comes to pass, how will universities achieve their long-standing goal of educating a diverse student body in a post-affirmative action world? Several public universities already employ race-neutral admissions practices. <> 2019. The school system insisted its new admissions policies are race-neutral; among other things, they noted that the panelists who evaluate applications don't even know the race of the students they . New proposed legislation in Florida, House Bill 999, aims to ban public colleges from funding any projects that, "espouse diversity, equity, and inclusion or critical-race-theory rhetoric . Many schools lack the resources that U-M has been able to put into this effort, Michigan's brief states, and would not be able to undertake such a broad array of initiatives to respond to such a disruptive change. Two "race-neutral alternatives" are frequently proposed: a search for socioeconomic diversity, which is often a proxy for racial and ethnic diversity, and a plan to admit the top candidates . The Harvard affirmative action case is the latest legal challenge engineered byconservative legal strategist Edward Blum, who has been suing to bring an end to race-conscious policies, including affirmative action, for more than 25 years. 1, Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education, The Diversity Imperative: The Compelling Case, Access and Diversity: Related but Distinct Concepts, Key Terms and Concepts: Knowing the Basics, Mythbusters: Correcting Common Misunderstandings, Making Connections: A Holistic View of Key Strategies, Admission: Exploring Key Strategies for Achieving Success, Financial Aid and Scholarships: Exploring Key Strategies for Achieving Success, Getting from Here to There: Managing the Process of Policy Change, Beyond Federal Law: State Voter Initiatives and Their Consequences, Taking a Stand: Higher Education Leadership for the 21st Century, The Initiative on Transfer Policy and Practice, Community Colleges and Student Search Service, Professional Development for Higher Education, Summer Institute on College Admission and School Relations, International Professional Development Events, Summer Institute for International Counselors at NYU, International Admissions Symposium and University Fair, College Board Electronic Discussion Groups, Access and Diversity Collaboratives Action Guide for Higher Education, ADCs Key Action Guide for Every Institution, Engaging Campus Stakeholders on Enrollment Issues Associated with Student Diversity, The Playbook: Understanding the Role of Race Neutral Strategies in Advancing Higher Education Diversity, 2nd Edition, Listen to the oral arguments from SFFA v. Harvard, Listen to the oral arguments from SFFA v. UNC, Read our full public statement on the amicus brief, Brief on SCOTUS taking UNC and Harvard Cases. We need disaggregated race data to truly aid in identifying the inequities, documenting the harm, and advancing equitable and comprehensive policies to address the inequities. The decision is a welcome affirmation that using race-conscious decision-making is both lawful and necessary in higher education. The Case for Race-Conscious Policies. Social Mobility Memos (Brookings blog), February 4, 2016. Professor Kim Forde-Mazrui directs the Center for the Study of Race and Law. And even without an explicit application checkbox for race, certain assumptions can be made based on surnames, ZIP codes, and individual high schools, notes admissions consultant Sara Harberson. So is there a viable race-neutral substitute for affirmative action that sufficiently satisfies diversity goals? Reflections on What Makes a Policy Racist. Wingfield, Adia Harvey. While there are many factors that may play a role in the low Black homeownership rate, one key factor is the racist history of redliningthe practice in which lenders deny mortgage loans or other services to communities of color. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action et al. In a response filed Wednesday in the Supreme Court, the school board insisted that its admissions policy is "race-neutral" and said the 4th Circuit was "entirely within its . <> More recently, in 2016's Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing the majority opinion, upheld the use of racial preferences but stressed the university bears the burden of demonstrating that 'available' and 'workable' 'race-neutral alternatives' do not suffice. . How should we interpret the race variable? It claims numerous studies have demonstrated that replacing a holistic admissions policy with a top 10% plan would not successfully restore the number of students of color at the most selective four-year campuses that would be achieved under a policy that considers race. Rothstein, Richard. The steep increase in the prison population can be largely attributed to many of the policies passed in the 1970sincluding the war on drugs legislationand maintained over the subsequent decades that disproportionately hurt Black and brown people and established what we know today as mass incarceration (Taifa 2021). Authoritative, up-to-date data on the living standards of American workers. However, over the past several years, affirmative action has been under attack in the higher education space as some believe race shouldnt be a factor for admission into a school or program. Systematic Inequality and Economic Opportunity. Those decisions were correct then and remain correct today, Harvards attorneys wrote in their brief. Campuses that have implemented race-neutral admissions policies have seen dramatic declines in enrollment of underrepresented minorities. Last updated July 16, 2021. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to soon decide whether race-based programs in admissions are lawful. In an amicus brief submitted to the court ahead of oral arguments, the University of California system recounted the effects of its race-neutral admissions strategies on campus diversity. New York: Liveright. This case asks the Supreme Court to decide whether Grutter v.Bollinger should be overruled and whether universities should be prohibited from using race in the admission process, as well as whether Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against Asian American applicants in the admission process and by rejecting workable, race-neutral alternatives. Why give to EPI uuid:a5890c9e-b41c-11b2-0a00-b04a9b020000 Race-neutral admissions policies have had mixed results. endobj For most of the 20th century, the criminal justice system has magnified and reinforced the growing racial divide in America. Published March 22, 2021. Given the state of educational inequality in our country, solely relying on race-neutral policies does not eliminate discrimination; it reinforces it. Throughout U.S. political history, there have been a plethora of policy initiatives that were designed to lift only members of a disadvantaged socioeconomic group without acknowledging the racial component, thus failing to address long-standing inequityor vice versa. The United States' highest court is hearing arguments against using race as a factor in college admissions policies Monday in cases involving the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard University. AppendPDF Pro 6.3 Linux 64 bit Aug 30 2019 Library 15.0.4 Board of Directors To access this presentation, use the passcode: access2022! We must face race head-on to meaningfully address the racial inequality that persists in our society. The Trump administration has reversed an Obama-era policy that urged universities to consider race as a factor in admissions. Phone: 202-775-8810 epi@epi.org A federal trial judge agreed and ruled the boards new policy amounted to illegal racial balancing.. Race & Reconciliation Initiative at Texas Christian University. Hanauer, Nick, and Jessyn Farrell. This analysis indicates that these disparities are largely due to a racialized class system. In the ensuing years, despite extraordinary efforts that included many of the targeted outreach tactics employed in California as well as a reduction in the number of students enrolled via early acceptance programs, minority enrollment fell sharply, the university claims. Wilson, Valerie, Ethan Miller, and Melat Kassa. 2017. As colleges nationwide await a Supreme Court decision, they face an uncertain future about how to craft a class and ensure diversity within their student body. In its defense, the school board said its admissions policy did not consider the racial or ethnic identity of any students. In the case involving the University of North Carolina, Students for Fair Admissions argues the college discriminates against white and Asian applicants by giving preference to Black, Hispanic and Native American students. Webinar 2: Navigating in Times of Challenge: Fundamentals on Policy and Practice Associated with Race and Ethnicity in Admissions Review this recorded session from June 2022 to learn additional specific, race-neutral enrollment management strategies in advance of the major U.S. Supreme Court action expected this fall and next year. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Theres No Such Thing as Race-Neutral Policy (with Valerie Wilson). Pitchfork Economics (podcast), April 20, 2021, 24 min. Learn more about the ADC. Nellis, Ashley. Jones, Tiffany, and Andrew Howard Nichols. In the 2003 case Grutter v. Bollinger, the court held in favor of the University of Michigan's affirmative action policy but noted the university could employ race-conscious admissions to promote student diversity only after exhausting race-neutral alternatives. . . Implement the above steps to help streamline evaluations in light of any consequential Court action. Race-neutral admissions have exacerbated inequality by failing to account for discrimination, structural barriers, and a lack of access to opportunity and resources that students of color routinely face, the regents said. Exploreresources. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs this term, what will be the result? 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