Affirmative Action, Meritocracy, and the Future of Higher Education

In November 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from the latest challenge to the constitutionality of affirmative action policies at colleges and universities. Nearly 50 years after the first challenge by a medical school student in California, colleges, students, and the courts nationwide are still struggling with questions surrounding both affirmative action’s legality and its actual impact on upward mobility. The cases before the Court, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina, raise many questions about the legacy of affirmative action, the administrative intent of affirmative action policies at Harvard and other institutions, and the potential impact of race-neutrality on student evaluations and admissions. What do impacted communities, such as Asian Americans, think about the affirmative action issue? What is the current state of race relations in higher education and how has affirmative action fostered or hindered civility between students of different backgrounds? This conference is on the history of affirmative action and its uncertain future. We will discuss whether affirmative action has led to more or less racial tension on college campuses; assess the current state of higher education admissions practices; and attempt to read the tea leaves on the forthcoming Supreme Court rulings and what they mean for colleges and universities. Hosted by MI Senior Fellow Jason L. Riley, this morning conference will feature a wide range of voices from academia, law, and the policymaking community. 00:00 - Welcome and Introductory Remarks by Jason Riley 05:00 - Panel I: Affirmative Action’s Impact and What to Expect from the Supreme Court Richard Banks, Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor of Law, Stanford Law School Anthony Bradley, Director, Center for the Study of Human Flourishing, The King’s College Moderator: James R. Copland, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute 01:09:55 - Panel II: Origins and Effectiveness of 50 Years of Racial Preferences David Bernstein, University Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia School of Law: George Mason University Renu Mukherjee, Paulson Policy Analyst, Manhattan Institute Wen Fa, Senior Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation Moderator: Mene Ukueberuwa, Editorial Board member, The Wall Street Journal 02:10:10 - Closing Interview with Linda Chavez, Chairman, Center for Equal Opportunity

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