(GoRealNewsNow.com) – BREAKING NOW: Just moments ago, in a landmark bombshell decision, the U.S. Supreme Court voted against race-conscious admissions procedures currently in place at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. This ruling marks a significant blow to liberal affirmative action initiatives that for decades have been used to increase the presence of Black, Hispanic, and other minority students on college campuses.
The Supreme Court sided with Students for Fair Admissions, started by Edward Blum, an activist who opposed affirmative action. This group was challenging lower court decisions that had previously approved the admissions methods used by the two notable universities to ensure a diverse student body.
This case marks the most recent ruling influenced by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority. In June 2022, this same group of justices overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had made abortion legal nationwide. They also expanded gun rights in a couple of pivotal decisions.
Many universities, businesses, and military leaders have supported affirmative action in education for a long time, as it addresses racial inequality and exclusion in the U.S. This policy also cultivates a group of individuals who can offer diverse perspectives in various settings, including workplaces and the U.S. military.
Harvard has stated that about 40% of American colleges and universities incorporate race into their admissions decisions to some extent. Both Harvard and UNC have clarified that they consider race as one of several elements in their comprehensive review of applicants for admission. They argue that eliminating this practice would lead to a significant decrease in the enrollment of students from minority groups.
However, some critics have long insisted that these policies are discriminatory. Many conservatives and Republican politicians in the U.S. believe that providing benefits to any particular racial group, regardless of the reasons or circumstances, violates the Constitution. They argue that the U.S. has progressed beyond past discriminatory policies, such as segregation, and is becoming more diverse.
The disagreement offered the Supreme Court’s conservative majority a chance to reverse previous rulings allowing race-conscious admissions practices.
Blum’s organization accused UNC and Harvard of discrimination in lawsuits filed in 2014, claiming that these schools were biased against white and Asian American applicants. Students for Fair Admissions argued that UNC’s non-neutral race policy violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause and that Harvard breached Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a significant federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funding.
However, lower courts dismissed these claims, leading the group to appeal to the Supreme Court. They requested the justices to overturn a crucial precedent that supports colleges considering race as a part of the admissions process, emphasizing the importance of a diverse student body.
The Supreme Court has traditionally supported affirmative action, most notably in a 2016 case involving a white student who, with Blum’s support, sued the University of Texas after being denied admission. Since 2016, the Supreme Court has leaned more conservative, with three justices dissenting in the University of Texas case and three new justices appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump.
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