Was Live Friday, May 26, 2023 | 11 am PT
Guest Speakers:
- Lisa Holder, President, Equal Justice Society (EJS)
- Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
- John C. Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ)
- Michele Siqueiros, President, The Campaign for College Opportunity
Related Coverage
Event Overview
The US Supreme Court is poised to rule before the end of June on two cases challenging the use of affirmative action in college admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Most experts believe that the conservative majority, who holds a 6-3 advantage, will rule against the schools, possibly dismantling a 40-year legal precedent that supports consideration of race in college admissions. Depending on how the court rules, the impact on diversity in higher education could be significant.
Many schools that, for the last 45 years, have considered race as one factor in their assessment of applicants maintain that this is essential for building a diverse campus. States where affirmative action in college admissions has been banned, like California, have tried other measures to open access to minority students but say that nothing works as well as race-informed affirmative action.
Experts from some of the top civil rights and college access organizations in the country will explain the impact of the impending legal ruling and discuss alternatives to achieving diversity without this important tool.
