Response to Supreme Court Case on Affirmative Action
A few weeks ago, one of my professors posed a question to the class regarding a case in the Supreme Court, which really captured my attention. She explained to us how Affirmative Action in college admission for Harvard (to name one of the universities) was being challenged by the SFFA (Students For Fair Admissions) and labeled as unfair and discriminatory towards applicants of different demographics.
Now, we must consider both sides of the argument. Affirmative Action not only helps universities be more diverse, but it gives opportunities to those who have lacked equity and services in their past education due to systemic racism and other racial factors. On the flip side, there is the argument that Affirmative Action takes away the chance for people who really deserve that spot in the school and have worked hard as opposed to someone getting in for their racial background.
If you agree with the second statement I made, I would one like to point out two things. 1. That is absolutely not my personal belief and 2. If you find this to be true you are probably White or extremely privileged or both.
I cannot express enough how harmful it is to be blinded by privilege when it comes to discussing these topics. As a White individual myself, applying to college was easier for me than it is for a lot of other people. I had resources from my high school that helped me look better on my transcript in addition to having higher level classes, extracurriculars, and parents who could help me pay for my education.
I’m aware that I am very privileged, but its also not an excuse to turn a blind eye to the fact that minorities and people of color in America are faced with discriminatory struggles which don’t give them equitable opportunities. I would love to reflect on this more, but my word count for this article limits me so I urge you all to consider the struggles that either you personally have faced, or those experienced by others.
Banning Affirmative Action from college admissions would be very harmful. It’s so important to recognize that racial discrimination and lack of equitable opportunities make a big difference in the education opportunities of students for college admissions. Affirmative Action eliminates so many oppressors as college admissions have the opportunity to become aware of these issues.
If this case bothers you as much as it bothers me, I urge you to not only spread awareness of the case, but also go out and vote. We vote for those who share common interests with us, and personally as someone who does not share similar views to the majority of the Supreme Court, local government voting can aid in addressing these issues on a local level (but of course vote in major elections when the time comes).
